Oscar McDonald is an architect and urban designer. He studied architecture at the University of Sheffield and continued his academic training at Westminster University where he completed MArch and PGDip courses in architecture.
Oscar joined Space Syntax in 2018, becoming an Associate in 2019 and an Associate Director in 2021. He leads the Space Syntax Studio, where he is currently steering the delivery of major planning and design projects in the Middle East.
He has wide, international experience in urban design, public realm design and large-scale architectural projects. Recent work includes the concept masterplan for Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan, for which he led a multi-disciplinary team, pioneering new ways to design cities using evidence based approaches and generative design.
Before joining Space Syntax, Oscar worked at Wilkinson Eyre on the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station and the Hs2 terminus station in Birmingham. He has also co-founded a pro bono collaboration with academic and NGO partners in the Maldives, using data-based urban design to help the country adapt to climate change.
2018 Visiting lecturer, AA School of Architecture, UK
2018 Visiting lecturer, MNU School of Architecture, The Maldives.
2017 Registered Architect, ARB, RIBA, UK.
2016 MArch in Architecture, University of Westminster, UK
2012 BA in Architecture, University of Sheffield, UK.
