“I’m thrilled to welcome Alejandro as our firm’s newest senior design leader,” said David Polzin, CannonDesign’s executive director of design.” As we all emerge from the throes of the pandemic, we must be well-positioned to solve the current and emerging challenges facing our clients and communities. It’s critical that we reach beyond the mark of merely innovative to forge bold, creative solutions to complex issues. That’s how we transform the built environment, and that’s the level of vision and leadership Alejandro brings to our practice”
Fueled by a lifelong passion for understanding how things work and could work better, Alejandro has built an impressive body of international work at all scales and typologies. Most recently, he served as design director at Adrian Smith+Gordin Gill Architecture (AS+GG) where he led and collaborated on numerous high-profile projects with global exposure and smaller projects with their own transformation potential.
Alejandro is drawn by the opportunity to set higher design standards with each project, which has inspired his work and challenged his teams to master high-performance design. In recent years, he has served as design director and team leader on projects such as the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, the Expo-2017 Astana in Kazakhstan, the Burj Vista in Dubai and the Energy Hall and Congress Center in Astana. Most recently, Alejandro led the Al Wasl Plaza project, the centerpiece of the Expo 2020 in Dubai that integrates the power and beauty of nature with the experience of the world’s largest 360-degree immersive projection experience.
Before joining AS+GG, Alejandro was a senior designer at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, where he was involved in the design and development of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Las Vegas Tower in Las Vegas, Wind and Garden Tower in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Saudi Arabia, the KAEC master plan, and the Suzhou Convention and Exhibition Center, in China. His experience includes work in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, North America, and his native Argentina.
Alejandro’s love of architecture is rooted in his deep appreciation of an intricate, transformative process. As a young boy in Argentina, he grew his own food and challenged himself to repurpose computer fans to cool the bedrooms in his childhood home. As an architect, he’s taught himself to take advantage of the value of historical buildings and to render and reuse materials that may otherwise be discarded in the design process. He’s skilled in creating beauty and functionality in places where they are, at times, hard to detect – and he’s excited to continue this process of creation here at CannonDesign.
“I love what CannonDesign is doing,” Alejandro said of his decision to join the firm. “The work is great, and I look forward to bringing my passion, knowledge and experience to help the team make an even bigger transformation. Also, CannonDesign engages in institutional work that has a long-term impact, and that’s something I care about. I’m here to help clients make decisions that will impact the buildings and the communities they serve for generations to come. My goal is to help CannonDesign make new advancements every day, integrating its vast and diverse teams and knowledge base.”
Alejandro earned a Master of Architecture from Buenos Aires National University, Argentina. He is licensed in Illinois and is affiliated with the Chicago Central Area Committee (CCAC).
