Aleksandr Mergold

Aleksandr Mergold is an Associate Professor at the New Jersey School of Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and co-founder of Austin+Mergold (A+M), an architecture, landscape, and design collaborative operating across New York, Pennsylvania, and California.

His educational background includes:

• Master of Architecture, Princeton University, 2003
• Bachelor of Architecture, Cornell University, 2000

Mergold's research centers on reimagining disposable materials and systems from 20th-century built environments through sustainable architecture, adaptive reuse, and material innovation. His work explores contemporary spolia—recontextualizing historical architectural fragments—and examines intersections between industrial heritage and modern design. He is finalizing a book on contemporary spolia that analyzes material repurposing across global contexts.

His accolades include:

• New York Architecture League Prize for Architects and Designers
• Philadelphia AIA Emergent Architect Prize

Additional recognition comprises grants from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Graham Foundation. Mergold has taught architecture for over 15 years at Cornell University (Ithaca and Rome), Parsons School of Design, and Listaháskóli Íslands in Reykjavik, mentoring students in design innovation. His collaborative practice produced the award-winning Oculi installation—a public artwork recomposed from decommissioned Ohio grain bins and 1920s Unistrut systems—which won the City of Dreams competition and now resides at ArtOmi after its Governor's Island debut.