Alex Donahue

Bio

Dr. Alex Donahue is a licensed architect, certified planner, and certified interior designer whose work spans more than fifteen years of practice at the intersection of architecture, urban design, and product innovation. His professional portfolio includes international-scale projects and significant contributions to Washington, D.C.'s built environment. 

Donahue is the Director of Planning at Michael Graves & Associates, where he leads design initiatives across scales and typologies. Before this appointment, he practiced with several internationally recognized design firms, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Pei Cobb Freed, and SITE (Sculpture in the Environment).

In addition, Donahue is the founder and CEO of artisanHUE, an independent design studio producing award-winning product designs. His work has been sold worldwide, including at the MoMA Design Store and the Guggenheim. His product designs have been recognized with multiple international honors, including the GOOD Design Award (2020, 2023), the International A’ Design Award, and inclusion on the Dezeen Design Award longlist.

Research and Creative Scholarship

Donahue’s research examines the accessibility and inclusivity of public spaces using field-based methods and post-occupancy evaluation. His recent presentation at the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) 56th Conference in Halifax examined perceptions of welcome and approachability in relation to urban security features. His earlier collaborative research, published in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, explored the role of signage in shaping governance within New York City’s privately owned public spaces.

Named an Emerging Fellow by the Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Education, Donahue is also the author of the forthcoming textbook A Line Around an Idea: Framing the Design Process for a Post-Digital Age (Routledge), which reconsiders models of design thinking considering contemporary technological and cultural conditions.

Education

• Ph.D., Urban and Regional Planning & Design – University of Maryland
• M.P.S. in Real Estate – Georgetown University
• M.Arch II (Post-Professional) – University of Pennsylvania
• B.Arch – Pennsylvania State University

Selected Distinctions

• Emerging Fellows Project Award, Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Education (2023–24)
• GOOD Design Award, Product Design – Chicago Athenaeum & the European Center for Architecture and Urban Design (2020, 2023)
• International A’ Design Award, Product Design (2021)
• International Design Award, Product Design (2020)
• Dezeen Design Award, Longlist (2021)
• Outstanding Teaching Award – University of Maryland, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (2020)
• College Award for Creative Achievement – Pennsylvania State University (2013)

Professional Affiliations

• American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• American Planning Association (APA)
• Society of College and University Planners (SCUP)
• Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA

Exhibitions and Service

Donahue co-curated A Line Around an Idea: A Retrospective of SITE 1975–2013 at the Spitzer Gallery, City College of New York. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Architecture Alumni Group at Pennsylvania State University, where he has held both presidential and vice-presidential leadership roles.

His teaching has consistently advanced student scholarship; projects from his studios were featured in Dezeen Magazine in 2022 and 2023.