Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Chaves.
Hi Alexandra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1996, I visited my godfather in Paris and Madrid, and it was during that trip—standing in front of I. M. Pei’s Louvre Pyramid—that I first fell in love with architecture. After high school, I began my architectural studies at Universidad Santa María in Caracas. During a period of political and economic uncertainty, and thanks to my dual citizenship, I moved to the United States to continue my education. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture 2005 and my Master of Architecture from SCAD in 2006.
After graduating, I moved to New York City, where I worked at several architecture firms and gained invaluable professional experience. After meeting my husband, filmmaker Gustavo Bernal, and welcoming our son in 2016, we relocated to Austin in 2018. Since then, I’ve found the Austin design community to be incredibly welcoming and supportive.
In March 2020, the global pandemic brought both our professional and personal lives to a sudden halt. Like many others, I felt the isolation deeply and began looking for ways to maintain connection within my community. As a member of the AIA Austin Women in Architecture committee, I created a short video titled “We Are WiA,” collecting clips from women across our WiA community affirming our shared presence and solidarity. With the help of my husband Gustavo’s filmmaking expertise, we transformed those moments into a meaningful reminder that we were not alone.
Building on this work, in 2021 I founded the WiA PROFILES Video Interview Series subcommittee, a platform dedicated to highlighting and amplifying women in firm leadership who are making a meaningful impact on Austin’s design community. The series continues to serve as a tool for visibility, storytelling, and mentorship.
Most recently, I completed my volunteer service as AIA Austin Women in Architecture Chair in 2025, a role that allowed me to further support, advocate for, and build community among women in the Austin design profession. This experience reflects my ongoing commitment to fostering connection, visibility, and leadership within architecture.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Like many architects, I faced job rejections and the ongoing challenge of building a career grounded in value, trust, and long-term relationships. I am also a neurodivergent person, which has shaped both how I experience the profession and how I navigate it. After spending nearly twelve years working in the fast-paced environment of New York City, I learned resilience the hard way. Those experiences pushed me to clarify not only what I wanted to do, but also how I wanted to show up for the profession and for others.
Since establishing roots in Texas in 2018, I’ve become deeply committed to advocating for the architectural community in Austin and beyond. After relocating to Austin to raise my family, I joined the all-female architecture firm Restructure Studio, where I serve as a Project Manager. At the same time, I expanded my volunteer work, dedicating my energy to educational outreach initiatives that introduce future generations to architecture and improve access to the profession particularly for minority women like myself.
As my experience in video making and storytelling continued to grow through my work with AIA Austin Women in Architecture and Gus Bernal: Film + Photo + Education, I found the next step in my journey in education and knowledge-sharing. In 2022, I teamed up with my husband, filmmaker Gustavo Bernal, and local architect and filmmaker Jes Deaver to present “Making Films About Architecture” at the AIA Austin Design Excellence Conference. The following year, in 2023, we were accepted to speak at the Texas Society of Architects Annual Conference with a new presentation, “The Power of Storytelling.”
This seminar focuses on teaching architects and A/E/C professionals how to promote their work through film—moving beyond drawings and renderings to center the voices of the teams behind the projects and the people who experience these spaces. We also discuss the importance of selecting the right filmmaker and the essential elements of crafting an authentic narrative about one’s work. This lecture was also selected for presentation at the National AIA Conference in 2024 in Washington, DC.
Over the years, my volunteer leadership—including serving as Chair-Elect and later completing my term as AIA Austin Women in Architecture Chair in 2025—has reinforced my belief in the power of community. Whether creating connection during times of uncertainty, amplifying the voices of women through film, or sharing knowledge at local, state, and national conferences, I’ve continued to rise to challenges by finding new ways to support, educate, and inspire others. Moving forward, I want to start working toward architectural licensure as the next step in my professional journey, while remaining deeply engaged with my family and professional communities.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Project Manager at Restructure Studio in Austin, Texas, where I specialize in managing custom residential projects with a high level of precision and care. I’m known for my strong organizational skills, professionalism, and attention to detail. Qualities that allow me to guide projects from design development through construction while maintaining clear communication with clients and consultants.
At Restructure Studio, I play a key role in coordinating with GC and outdoor vendors, managing schedules and ensuring that design intent is carried through every phase of a project. I thrive in environments that require both strategic thinking and hands-on problem solving.
In addition to my project management role, I am also a designer for Restructure Studio’s sister company, Arbor Plans. My ADU design Bluebill has become one of the company’s most popular and frequently built plans, which I’m especially proud of because it reflects my interest in creating thoughtful, efficient, and highly livable housing solutions.
What I am most proud of is my ability to bridge design excellence with dependable project leadership. What sets me apart is my detail-oriented approach, my commitment to collaboration, and my ability to create processes that support both clients and design teams, resulting in well-executed projects and strong, lasting professional relationships.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is spending time with my family, connecting people and creating a sense of belonging, especially within the architectural community. I find real joy in bringing individuals together, whether that’s through collaboration, mentorship, or simply opening doors that might not have felt accessible before. Knowing that I can help someone feel seen, supported, or encouraged in their career is incredibly fulfilling. My family has been an enormous source of support, and it means a great deal to me that they often volunteer alongside me at events. Sharing that sense of community and service with them makes the work even more meaningful.
I’m also deeply motivated by advocating for women in our profession. Architecture can be demanding and, at times, isolating, and being able to uplift other women, amplify their voices, and help create more equitable pathways into and through the profession gives my work deeper meaning. Seeing others succeed, gain confidence, and find their place in the field is something I truly value.
At the core, what makes me happy is using my skills whether through design, leadership, or storytelling to build community, strengthen connections, and contribute to a profession that is more inclusive, supportive, and human.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/alexandra.chaves
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/achavesmuller/
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrachaves
- Other: https://www.restructurestudio.com/
Image Credits
Patrick Wong
Killy Photography
Lucero Valle
