Executive Spotlight: GraceHebert Architects partner and principal Alex Deshotels

Alex Deshotels grew up just outside New Orleans in River Ridge, but his family relocated to Bonaire, a Caribbean island off the northern coast of Venezuela when he was just seven years old.
The move forced him to learn to speak both Dutch and Papiamento, the native language, and also afforded him the opportunity to spend much of his free time windsurfing and hanging out at the beach. When he was 14, his family relocated back to Louisiana.
“Moving back and forth between the two cultures helped me learn to adapt quickly in new and unfamiliar environments.”
He found high school difficult, but his career began to come into focus when he attended the University of Louisiana Lafayette and enrolled in some architecture courses.
“I realized that hard work and hours spent in the studio would be more in tune with my talents than constant studying.”
He graduated in 2006, joined GraceHebert Architects in 2009 and was named a partner earlier this year. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and five-year-old son, and occasionally finds the time to play tennis or get out for some windsurfing.
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A with Deshotels. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
What’s something about your job that might surprise people?

“I’d say that how much time goes in to marketing, planning, drawing and executing the design and construction of buildings. Our team focuses on designing and thinking through buildings three-dimensionally, so we can help the client envision the space and focus on detailing early in the process.”