Seth McDowell

Education

Columbia University, Master in Architecture
Clemson University, Bachelor of Science in Design

Biography

Seth McDowell began his architectural career building shacks in the woods of rural South Carolina. He has since worked with trim carpentry, design+build, and professional practices in Charleston, SC and New York, NY. McDowell is a registered architect, principal of Seth McDowell Architect, and co-founded mcdowellespinosa architects.

McDowell’s design work has been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally. Significant recognitions include Architecture Newspaper’s Best of Design Young Architect of the Year in 2017,  the 2015 NY Architectural League Prize for a design portfolio that exemplifies conditions of “Authenticity” in architecture, a winning entry for The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s 2015 ChiDesign Competition, first place entry in the 2010 Self-Sufficient City Competition sponsored by the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, finalist in MoMA’s PS1 2013 Young Architects Program (TempAgency), winner of multiple AIA/DC Unbuilt Awards for Excellence, and winner of two AIA Virginia Awards for Design Excellence.   

McDowell’s teaching is focused on design, materiality, construction systems and creative workflows for Building Information Modeling. Results from his studios and courses have been presented and published at various ACSA conferences.    

McDowell co-edited the book Next New York with Mona El Khafif, published by Applied Research + Design Publishing in 2023.  McDowell is also the editor of the book Water Index: Design Strategies for Drought, Flooding and Contamination, an ACTAR / UVA publication released in 2017.