RACHAEL MCCALL
BDesSt (UQ/LTH) / MArch (UQ) / MArch II (SCI-Arc)
Designer / Academic

Rachael McCall currently lives in Los Angeles, working as design and visual studies faculty at SCI-Arc, Southern California Institute of Architecture (www.sciarc.edu), where she teaches graduate and undergraduate design studios, workshops and visual studies seminars. Rachael is also lead designer and project manager at HDA-X Creative Agency, Hernan Diaz Alonso’s office and Florencia Pita & Co. As well as her MArch II from SCI-Arc, she holds a professional Master of Architecture from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she was first in her class receiving several honors including the Board of Architects Queensland Prize, an Australian Institute of Architects Medallion and the Cox Rayner Architects Prize. 

Rachael also holds a Bachelor of Design Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia and undertook the final part of this degree at Lund University in Sweden. During her five years study in Brisbane, Rachael worked part-time in an architectural practice and has also worked two years full time in practice in Brisbane, on a variety of projects from competition, schematic design, documentation to construction administration. For her study in Los Angeles, Rachael received scholarships from both SCI-Arc and the University of Queensland - A.E. Brooks Travelling Scholarship for study and travel in California. 

Rachael completed her Master of Architecture II and graduated with distinction at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles, California. Prior to spending a year in SCI-Arc Director Hernan Diaz Alonso’s studio, Rachael studied under professors Florencia Pita (Pita & Bloom) and Marcelo Spina (P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S). Under Diaz Alonso, Rachael worked on two projects; The Grand Palais (Paris) and Secession House (Vienna), which lead to her thesis project Frayed and Polished set in Oslo. Critics frequently included Greg Lynn (FORM), Thom Mayne (Morphosis) and Jeff Kipnis. 

SCI-Arc awarded Rachael, the 2015 Gehry Prize - best graduate thesis for her thesis Frayed & Polished, which aimed to challenge the legibility of edges, figures and silhouettes by fraying edges and working with different gradients of polish and reflection, through a design project for the new government quarter in Oslo. A SCI-Arc trustee since 1990, Frank Gehry and his wife Berta Gehry, established the top prize in 2012 and maintain close ties with the school. The prize comes with an inscription; “They were born never to live in peace and quiet themselves and to prevent the rest of the world from doing so.” ---Thucydides

Frayed & Polished was presented as a four-minute animation playing over six screens, culminating in an hour long discussion at SCI-Arc’s Graduate Thesis Weekend, September 2015. As well as her thesis success, Rachael was the graduate student winner of the 2015 American Institute of Architect’s Henry Adams Certificate for academic merit, awarded by the American National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Rachael was also awarded a SCI-Arc Service Award for working as a teaching assistant and coordinating exhibitions whilst studying. 

Wallpaper Magazine, published in the UK, has nominated Rachael for their list of top architectural graduates worldwide. 

CV

EDUCATION
Master of Architecture II __ 2013-2015, SCI-Arc, Southern California Institute of Architecture, USA (1st) (Distinction, Service Award, Gehry Prize, Henry Adams Certificate)
Master of Architecture __ 2011-2012, University of Queensland (1st) 
Bachelor of Design Studies __ 2007-2009, University of Queensland (1st) with exchange semester at Lund University, Sweden 2009
Australian Institute of Architects __ Student Member since 2007, Graduate Member since 2012
National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia __ 1998-2006 Voice & Cello
Redeemer Lutheran College, Brisbane __ Final school result OP1 (highest percentile statewide)

WORK
SCI-Arc 2016 - Current __ Los Angeles , Design and Visual Studies Faculty
HDA-x / Xefirotarch - Current__ Los Angeles, Lead Designer & Project Manager
Florencia Pita & Co. - Current __ Los Angeles, Designer
Albert Division - Current __ Los Angeles, Designer
Neme Design Studio - Current ___ Los Angeles, Designer
Walter P Moore__ Los Angeles 2016, Mar - July, Technical Design Intern
Pita+Bloom__ Los Angeles 2015-2016, Sept - Feb, Designer for Venice Biennale - The Architectural Imagination
Pita+Bloom__ Los Angeles 2014, Summer, Guggenheim Helsinki Competition, What is a Guggenheim? Exhibit
Pita+Bloom__ Los Angeles 2013-2014, Winter, MOMA PS1 Young Architects Competition, UMMA Table Exhibit
Fulton Trotter Architects __ Brisbane 2012-2013, Graduate Architect from November 2012 - August 2013
Fulton Trotter Architects __ Brisbane 2008-2012, Part Time Architectural Assistant
Fulton Trotter Architects __ Brisbane 2010, Full Time Architectural Student March 2010 - December 2010
Mondo Architects __ Brisbane 2006, Work Experience
Private Teaching __ Brisbane 2006-2008, Piano lessons to school students
Meg Boutique __ Brisbane 2004-2008, Retail & Graphic Design Assistant

PROFESSIONAL WORK
Walter P Moore - 2016
Fulton Trotter Architects - 2008-2013
One and a half years full time & four years part time work whilst studying in Australia. Tasks included feasibility studies, institutional funding applications, measured drawings, sketch design, model building, design development, contract documentation, tendering & negotiations, and contract administration. Key projects include; Nudgee Junior College Library - after assisting in documentation and tendering, ran site meetings and observation for twelve months of construction. Coordinated funding applications, feasibility studies and sketch design of a new Boys Grammar School in Brisbane, Australia - currently under construction. Complete BIM modelling & documentation in Archicad. Rachael worked in a small team of five under one of the firm's directors and directly for the project architect. 

TEACHING
2024 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, First-Year Undergraduate Studio (1B) with Angelica Lorenzi, Emily Mohr & Natou Fall - “Public Pool”
2024 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Thesis
2024 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Visual Studies Undergraduate - Portfolio Workshop
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Core Studio (2GAX) with Florencia Pita, Soomeen Hahm & William Virgil - “Adaptive Deconstruction”
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arct, MArch II Visual Studies with William Virgil - “Floret”
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x LAUSD Thomas Edison MS - Pop-Arc Workshop
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Kumaran Parthiban
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Thesis Design Advisor
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x LAUSD GRID - Pop-Arc Virtual Workshop
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x LAUSD Tri-C HS - Pop-Arc Workshop
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x GALA HS - Pop-Arc Workshop
2023 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x GALA MS - Pop-Arc Workshop
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Second-Year Undergraduate Studio (2B) with Jennifer Chen, Jeremy Hartley & Kordae Henry - “Worlds”
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x LAUSD Thomas Edison MS - Pop-Arc Workshop
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x LAUSD Sylmar Charter School - Pop-Arc Workshop
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Core Studio (2GAX) with Florencia Pita & William Virgil - “classRoom”
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Visual Studies with William Virgil - “Illuminated”
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Kumaran Parthiban
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Thesis Design Advisor
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x Marshall HS - Pop-Arc Workshop
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x Ryman Arts - Pop-Arc Workshop
2022 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, First-Year Undergraduate Studio (1B) with David Eskenazi, Angelica Lorenzi & Aminatou Fall - “Objects II”
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Core Studio (2GAX) with Florencia Pita, Marcelyn Gow, Soomeen Hahm, Jeremy Kamal & William Virgil - “classRoom”
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Visual Studies with William Virgil & Kumaran Parthiban - “Masked”
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Jeff Halstead, William Virgil & Kumaran Parthiban
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Thesis Design Advisor
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x AOMA - Pop-Arc Workshop
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc x ACE - Pop-Arc Workshops
2021 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, First-Year Undergraduate Studio (1B) with David Eskenazi, Betty Kassis & Angelica Lorenzi - “Active Form”
2020 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Core Studio (2GAX) with Florencia Pita, Marcelo Spina & William Virgil - “classRoom”
2020 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Visual Studies with William Virgil - “Burst”
2020 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Andrea Cadioli - Graduate & Post-Graduate Workshop - "Somewhere Over The Overlay"
2020 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Visual Studies Seminar - Maya, ZBrush, After Effects, AR - "Filtered"
2020 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Not Making Architecture"
2019 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, MArch II Core Studio (2GAX) with Marcelyn Gow, Ferda Kolatan, Angelica Lorenzi, M Casey Rehm, Jenny Wu- “After Images”
2019 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Andrea Cadioli - Graduate & Post-Graduate Workshop - "House of [Hyper]Pop"
2019 - Visiting Workshop & Lecture - Tsinghua University - Maya, ZBrush, After Effects - "Formal Feast - Bronzed, Draped & Gummy"
2019 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Visual Studies Seminar - ZBrush, After Effects, Oculus Medium Virtual Reality (VR) - "Crimped & Puffy"
2019 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Excitement - Expertise - Excellence"
2019 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc / Tsinghua University - Design Workshop - "Flowers / Bugs / Teddy Bears"
2018 - Visiting Workshop - Draped Primatives - Woodbury School of Architecture, Woodbury University, Los Angeles
2018 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Augmentation"
2018 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Jeff Halstead- Graduate & Post-Graduate Workshop - "Populated Landscapes"
2018 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Visual Studies Seminar - ZBrush, After Effects, Oculus Medium Virtual Reality (VR) - "Immersed"
2018 - Visiting Workshop - Brushed & Dimpled - School of Architecture at Taliesin, Arizona
2018 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc / Tsinghua University - Design Workshop - "Flowers / Bugs / Food"
2018 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc / Nike, with M Casey Rehm - Design Workshop at Nike World Headquarters - "The Architecture of Apparel"
2018 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Bichos in Beijing"
2017 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Fuerza Natural"
2017 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with Ryan Tyler Martinez - Graduate & Post-Graduate Workshop - "Portraits of Edible Form"
2017 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Graduate Visual Studies Seminar - ZBrush, After Effects, Oculus Medium Virtual Reality (VR) - "Medium Figures"
2017 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Taxidermy Architecture"
2016 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Hernan Diaz Alonso with Rachael McCall - Vertical Design Studio - "Euphoria"
2016 - Design Faculty - SCI-Arc, Introduction to Digital Design with David Eskenazi - Graduate & Post-Graduate Workshop - "Snakes in a Box"
2016 - Assistant Teacher - SCI-Arc, Ali Rahim - Visiting Professor Design Studio - "Haute Couture" (http://sciarc2016-rahim.blogspot.com/)
2015 - Assistant Teacher - SCI-Arc, Ferda Kolatan - Visiting Professor Design Studio - "Fact, Fiction & Fetish" (http://sciarc2015-kolatan.blogspot.com/)
2015 - Teaching Assistant - SCI-Arc, Shane Acker - Thesis Animation Workshop
2015 – Teaching Assistant - SCI-Arc, Florencia Pita (Graduate Visual Studies Seminar) Techniques in Stop Motion Animation - taught ZBrush, 3D Printing & After Effects tutorials
2014 – Teaching Assistant - SCI-Arc, Ramiro Diaz-Granados, Marcelyn Gow, Florencia Pita, M Casey Rehm(Graduate MArch II Studio) Complex Morphologies - taught Maya, 3D Coat, ZBrush & After Effects tutorials

HONOURS
2023 - Guest Contributing Artist - A+D Museum - “Inked” Gala, Los Angeles
2022 - Public Lecture - GRID Virtual Workshops LAUSD
2022 - Public Lecture - Duel + Duet Lecture Series - SCI-Arc 50th Anniversary
2021 - Guest Judge - Canada Youth Visual Art Contest, Academy of Modern Art, Vancouver, Canada
2020 - Public Lecture - Alumni Talk Series - University of Queensland, Australia
2019 - Public Lecture, Workshop & Reviews - Tsinghua University, China
2019 - Gehry League Lecture & Interview - SCI-Arc
2015 - Frank & Berta Gehry Prize - Best Graduate Thesis SCI-Arc
2015 - SCI-Arc Graduation with Distinction
2015 - SCI-Arc Service Award
2015 - Henry Adam's Certificate for Academic Merit (American Institute of Architecture)
2013-2015 – Admissions & Continuing Merit Scholarships SCI-Arc
2013 – AE Brooks Travelling Scholarship
2012 – Peter Hale Cox Rayner UQ Architecture Prize
2012 – The QIA Memorial Medallion (for highest GPA over five years)
2012 – The Board of Architects Prize (for highest GPA over two years)
2007-2012 – Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence (every semester)
2012 – Japan Studio, University of Queensland Vice Chancellor’s Award for Internationalisation
2008 – Head of Architecture Book Prize, University of Queensland (for highest GPA)
2007 – Tectonics Design Competition – Final round, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
2007 – Jane Grealy Book Prize, University of Queensland (for highest GPA)
2006 – Parups Waring Architect’s Award – Highest result in Graphics at Secondary School
2006 – Queensland State Graphics Prize - Highest result in Graphics Queensland-wide

PUBLICATIONS & EXHIBITIONS
2024 - “Filtered & Fuzzy – The Cinematic Enmeshing of Architecture & Film” in Purple Architecture, ETC Press
2023 - Contributing Artist - A+D Museum - “Inked” Gala, Los Angeles
2021 - “One Object at a Time” – Digital A+D Museum, Los Angeles
2020 - Wildflowers in “Binge” - Export Magazine
2020 - An Insider’s View: From super-smooth to a little fuzzy, Rachael McCall, published in The Surreal Visions of Hernan Diaz Alonso, Thames & Hudson
2019 - Gehry League Lecture & Interview - SCI-Arc
2019 - Miniatures / Impermanent Collection at the Architecture + Design Museum, Los Angeles (USA)
2018 - Frayed - 3 Month Solo Show at the Architecture + Design Museum, Los Angeles (USA)
2018 - Frayed, Fleshy & Rosy Metallic - 3-Ways - Exhibition at the Architecture + Design Museum, Los Angeles (USA)
2017 - Frayed Not Polished - architecture, architectural & Architecture - Exhibition at the Architecture + Design Museum, Los Angeles (USA)
2016 - Frayed Not Polished - One Night Stand "The Rendezvous" - Exhibition in Downtown Los Angeles (USA)
2015 - Frayed & Polished - published on Suckerpunch Daily (USA)
2015 - Frayed & Polished / Graduate Thesis Weekend - published in Abitare (ITALY)
2015 - Frayed & Polished - presented at the Graduate Thesis Weekend - SCI-Arc (11 critics inc. Thom Mayne, Liam Young, Hernan Diaz Alonso, Caroline Bos, Florencia Pita)
2015 - Frayed & Polished - presented at the Selected Thesis Exhibition - SCI-Arc Gallery
2015 – Vienna Secession House - triptych animations presented at SCI-Arc Finals (14 critics lead by Jeff Kipnis & Hernan Diaz Alonso)
2015 – Vienna Secession House - triptych animations exhibited at SCI-Arc Spring Show - Los Angeles (USA)
2015 – Vienna Secession House - presented at die Angewante - University of Applied Arts (critics: Hernan Diaz Alonso & Liam Young) - Vienna (AUSTRIA)
2015 – The Disappearing Mass - published on Suckerpunch Daily (USA)
2015 – The Disappearing Mass - triptych animations presented at SCI-Arc Finals (critics: Hernan Diaz Alonso, Jeff Kipnis, Thom Mayne & Greg Lynn)
2014 – Withdrawn – exhibited in Dwell on Design - Los Angeles (USA)
2014 – Withdrawn – exhibited in SCI-Arc Spring Show, Los Angeles (USA)
2013 – Extremophiles – published in Fresh Punches & online Suckerpunch Daily (USA)
2012 – UQ Art Museum – published and exhibited at the Queensland Art Gallery (AUS)
2012 – Extemophiles – exhibited and presented at the Benaki Museum, Athens (GR)
2012 – Bus-stop (Athens)  – published in University of Cambridge Architecture Journal (UK)
2011 – Bus-stop (Athens)  –  exhibited and presented at the Benaki Museum, Athens (GR)
2011 – 1:5 Micro House Prototype – published by Engineered Wood Products Australia (AUS)
2011 – Inverted Theatre (Lund) – published in Praxis Journal (USA)
2010 – Performance Architecture (Lund) – exhibited at the Sketches Museum, Lund (Sweden)
2009 – New Farm side houses – published by Engineered Wood Products Australia (AUS)

RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS
2024 - Guest Critic - USC Graduate Thesis
2023 - Guest Contributing Artist - A+D Museum - “Inked” Gala, Los Angeles
2023 - Completed NCARB USA Architectural Licensure Exams
2023 - Guest Critic - UCLA, USC, CalPoly Pomona, Kent State Ohio
2022 - Guest Lecture - M&M - SCI-Arc
2022 - Guest Lecture - CEPT / SCI-Arc Workshop, India
2022 - Public Lecture - Duel + Duet Lecture Series - SCI-Arc 50th Anniversary
2022- Guest Critic - UCLA, UCLA Ideas, UPenn, USC, Kent State University
2021 - Guest Critic - Cal-Poly Pomona, UPenn, RPI
2020 - Xover Career Day Talk - SCI-Arc
2020 - Guest Lecture - Alumni Talk Series, University of Queensland - Australia
2020 - Guest Critic - Kent State University Ohio, Cal-Poly Pomona, Woodbury University Burbank
2020 - An Insider’s View: From super-smooth to a little fuzzy, Rachael McCall, published in The Surreal Visions of Hernan Diaz Alonso, Thames & Hudson
2019 - Guest Critic - Kent State University, Ohio
2019 - Gehry League Lecture & Interview - SCI-Arc
2019 - Public Lecture - Tsinghua University, China
2018 - Visiting Workshop - Draped Primatives - Woodbury School of Architecture, Woodbury University, Los Angeles
2018 - Frayed (Solo Show) - A+D Museum, Los Angeles
2018 - 3-Ways - A+D Museum, Los Angeles
2018 - Visiting ZBrush Workshop - Brushed & Dimpled - School of Architecture at Taliesin, Arizona
2018 - Nike / SCI-Arc Workshop - at Nike World Headquarters, Beaverton, Oregon
2017 - VR & Architectural Design Lecture - DID SCI-Arc, Los Angeles
2017 - architecture, architectural & Architecture - A+D Museum, Los Angeles
2016 - Frayed Not Polished - One Night Stand "The Rendezvous
2015 - Graduate Thesis Presentation & Exhibition at SCI-Arc, Los Angeles
2015 – Animation workshop with Oscar nominee Shane Acker, Filmmaker, Los Angeles
2015 – SCI-Arc Spring Show - Hernan Diaz Alonso Vertical Studio Triptych Animation Coordinator
2015 – One Hundred Buildings - Publication contributions for Thom Mayne (Morphosis), Los Angeles
2015 – Jeffrey Kipnis & Eric Owen Moss - What is Architecture? Seminar
2014 – Recasting the Rustic - Mycelium Seminar with Marcelyn Gow & Ramiro Diaz-Granados
2014 – Withdrawn exhibited for SCI-Arc in Dwell on Design 2014 Conference & Exhibition, Los Angeles
2014 – SCI-Arc Spring Show, 2GBX Coordinator
2013 – Speaker in the Theories of Contemporary Architecture Class Symposium at SCI-Arc
2013 – Awarded the AE Brooks Travelling Scholarship for study and travel in California
2012 – UQ M.Arch Graduate Online Publication Committee
2012 – UQ Art Museum project presented to the University of Queensland Planning Cell
2012 – Final Critique – UQ Art Museum: Extension to Mayne Hall with Richard Kirk Architect
2012 – Advanced Design Workshop with XAtelier in Athens
2012 – Japan Studio Exhibition – curation and opening speech to UQ Vice Chancellor
2012 – Japan Studio collaborative project with Brit Andresen and students from the Geidei School, Tokyo
2011 – Advanced Design Workshop with XAtelier in Athens
2009 – Projects at Lund University with Sir Peter Cook, CJ Lim, Matt Fajkus (UT) and XAtelier (SCI-Arc)

RESEARCH
2024 – “Almost Flowers” for Quasi-Autonomous Design – The Collaboration Between Human and Non-human Agencies, Nero He, Texas Tech
2024 – “Filtered & Fuzzy – The Cinematic Enmeshing of Architecture & Film” in Purple Architecture, ETC Press
2020 – “An Insider’s View: From super-smooth to a little fuzzy” in The Surreal Visions of Hernan Diaz Alonso, Thames & Hudson
2014 – In Terms of Description: Composition, Non-Composition and Object Oriented Ontology
2014 – Sauce: the work of the Ecole des Beaux Arts and SCI-Arc
2014 – A Friendly Alien Lands: Bond University School of Architecture by CRAB Studio
2013 – The Incongruous Figure in the work of Florencia Pita and Andrew Zago
2012 – Drawing out weave in the work of James Birrell and Walter Burley Griffin
2012 – Toy Blocks and Shadows in Japanese Architecture: the work of Bolles+Wilson and Sir John Soane
2011 – Les Halles: A Series of Unfortunate Events – Paris Urbanism 1800-2011
2011 – Cosmetics or Skin: the work of Herzog and de Meuron 1980-2011
2009 – Performance Architecture: analysis of the Copenhagen Playhouse by Lundgaard & Tranberg
2009 – Tradition and Innovation: the work of Louis Kahn

DIGITAL SKILLS
Adobe Suite – Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere, Acrobat Pro
Drawing – Autocad, Archicad, Sketch up, Microstation, Revit
Advanced design and rendering – Rhino, C4D, Autodesk Maya, Artlantis, Maxwell, Mental Ray, Arnold, Reshift, 3D Coat, 123D Catch, ZBrush, ZPrint, Geomagics, Magics, PolyPic, Processing
Processing - Microsoft Office, iMovie, iPhoto, iTask and various photo-book and publishing softwares

LANGUAGES
English – native language
German – good knowledge, studied throughout primary and high school
Spanish, Swedish & Danish – basic knowledge, studied on exchange