Alex O’Briant, with 25 years of design leadership across a wide array of typologies, brings a particular focus on partnering with academic institutions as they navigate change, growth, and evolving models of learning.

Alex's work balances sensitive campus placemaking with design innovations that strengthen learning, collaboration, and a shared academic purpose. He leads the design of projects across the firm’s educational, civic, and cultural practices. Throughout his career, Alex has worked closely with colleges and universities around the world, helping shape campuses for institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Georgia Tech, Purdue University, and The Ohio State University. Known for his relentless optimism and deeply collaborative approach, Alex is particularly well-suited to working with academic institutions, where progress depends on listening, trust, and long-term partnership. He also brings an enduring commitment to sustainable practice—not as a checklist, but as an integral part of how institutions plan responsibly for the future.

An established thought leader, Alex contributes actively to national and international conversations about the future of education, design, and campus life. He is a frequent speaker at the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) international conference, where he has addressed topics including interdisciplinary collaboration, strategic sharing, and flexible design. Additional speaking engagements include SXSWedu, Tradeline University Facilities, the Association of University Architects, the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS), China’s Better Education Environment Dynamic Conference (BEED), and delivered the the keynote address at AIA Austin’s 2018 summer conference.

Alex is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Society for College and University Planning and has served on the AIA New York Chapter Committee on Architecture for Education, the SXSWedu Advisory Board, and awards juries for SCUP and Learning By Design magazine. He received his Master of Architecture from Rice University after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and sculpture from Birmingham-Southern College. Alex has practiced architecture in Houston, Spain, and New York City, and has taught at Rice University and Lehigh University. He regularly serves as a critic and juror at schools of architecture across the country.