ALEX LIN
Aspiring Architect & Activist
I (he/him) grew up in suburban Connecticut as a child of two immigrants who owned a Chinese restaurant. Growing up, I devoted myself to my family, to my studies, and to volunteer work as a tutor. Eventually, inspired by beautiful structures and the potential of buildings to impact the future, I chose to study architecture. While I initially intended to focus solely on sustainability through the application of architectural technology in bamboo construction, I have come to realize that sustainability must extend far beyond just environmental sustainability; that it must reach out a hand to those who are under-served, that it must consider what lies beyond the building, that it must address the complex network of issues in which we find ourselves tangled today.
After high school, I moved to Pittsburgh, PA to complete a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Intelligent Environments at Carnegie Mellon University. During my time at CMU, I engaged in community-based design work through the Urban Design Build Studio and the university’s Freedom By Design chapter. I also co-authored a thesis entitled RE_VISION: A Resource for Community Organizers and Housing Advocates that studies the lack of affordable housing and the destabilization of existing residents in Garfield (one of many neighborhoods in Pittsburgh), as well as potential tools and strategies to tackle these concerns. Through these efforts, I developed a passion for affordable housing, public interest design, and urban design.
Today, I am a designer at Schemata Workshop, an architecture practice in Seattle, WA that puts community at the forefront of their work. In my free time, I enjoy trying new recipes, sketching/exploring, and making digital fabrication projects.
Too much clicking? Check out my print portfolio with selected works here!