Simon Mckenzie Email & Phone Number

I am a Canadian architect, artist, and educator, working at the international office Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill. At SOM, my role has encompassed a wide range of responsibilities, from being a design architect to managing and leading project teams. Beyond project-related responsibilities, I have been been heavily involved in SOM's Research and Innovation work, as one of the lead organizers of the Year One Program for new graduates, its Research Initiative, and the Material Innovations team.​Over the past twelve years, I've gained valuable experience while working at offices such as OMA, Coop Himmelb(l)au, and the Research and Development Laboratory of 3XN. I have an additional three years of architectural experience working in various Canadian offices, including one I founded in 2014. I'm passionate about sustainability, neuroscience, and phenomenology, as well as how storytelling and narrative can integrate into design.​In January 2019, I began teaching at the Academy of Art University while maintaining my full-time position at SOM. My teaching philosophy is shaped by my varied work experience, and places a strong emphasis on cultivating a broad range of knowledge and skills, supported by a high level of design rigor. I hold a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Architecture from McGill University. During my time at McGill, I was honored to receive the AIA Henry Adams Medal and the RAIC Gold Medal for being the top architecture graduate.

Listed skills include Model Making, Rhino, Sketchup, Architectural Design, and 15 others.