Graduate wants to change the world through architecture

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CLASS OF 2020

ANDRÉ SIMON
M.ARCH.  |  ARCHITECTURE
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING

PART OF UTSA TODAY’S SERIES ON SOME OF THE NEWEST ALUMNI OF ROADRUNNER NATION

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MAY 13, 2020 — The path that André Simon took to UTSA began with a dream from when he was a child. Born and raised in the sugarcane fields of Youngsville, Louisiana, he grew up with a simple Cajun life. He discovered his passion for architecture when he designed his own playhouse at the age of 12.

“I got some paper out and let my ideas run through the pencil, creating spaces and writing out measurements as if somehow I was going to get the money to build it on my own,” he recalled.

Simon said he did not know what this process was or what his creation was considered. He asked his mother, “What is this called? I like doing this.” That’s when he realized that his dream was to one day become an architect.

“Growing up, I was always told to turn the lights off when you leave a room, do not leave the water running for longer than needed, eat everything on your plate because there are kids in other countries who are starving, and I learned not to be wasteful with anything,” said Simon.

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“UTSA professors pushed us to produce the best work possible.”

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Because of these standards of living and the agricultural techniques that he was taught as a child, he has developed a passion for sustainable design—to make lives easier not only for the community he lives in but also for impoverished communities around the world.

In 2015, after he completed his bachelor of science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he moved to San Antonio to work at Garza/Bomberger & Associates, the oldest practicing architecture firm in Texas.

When Simon decided he wanted to have a stronger connection with the San Antonio architectural community he joined the local chaper of the American Institute of Architects, where he became part of the founding committee for the Emerging Professionals group of AIA SA, now known as San Antonio Young Architects.

In 2018 Simon learned about the UTSA master’s program in architecture and decided to enroll—a decision that’s paid off.

“UTSA professors pushed us to produce the best work possible,” he said.

That influence helped Simon and another student earn the American Institute of Architects San Antonio Student Design Award for Transform for Storm, their proposal for an eco-hotel in Galveston that responds to the extreme environmental circumstances that define the coastal city.

“I knew I had a passion for sustainability and UTSA provided me with the opportunity to get a certificate in sustainability in high-performance buildings, teach undergrad courses and bring my passion into their future careers,” he said.

He was recently nominated to Tau Sigma Delta, a scholastic honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in the field of architecture and applied arts.

After Simon graduates this month from UTSA, he is moving to Dallas, where he’s accepted a job offer working for GFF Architects.

— Ingrid Wright

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