He may be on the design team for the 2012 London Olympics Aquatics Centre, but it’s in his hometown that he’s most interested in creating thought-provoking design

When I was born in San Antonio, my parents brought me home to a house designed and built by my father, one of the best architects I know. In my neighborhood, my father designed many of the homes, and no two were the same. They spoke with a modern and radical vocabulary and they are still relevant today.

My neighborhood was my playground, where I began to build my subconscious library of design. Today, many children are surrounded by repetitive houses divorced from a design process. This lack of diversity has a cumulative effect on what our neighborhoods and cities will look like tomorrow. When I was 13, we moved to Chicago: another immersion into great design. This city formed a lasting impression on me of urban design, skyscrapers and the integration of neighborhoods into city fabric.

I attended college on a basketball scholarship. I planned to earn my degree in fine art, then see Europe by playing basketball. But art became my passion and awakened an interest in my father’s profession, and a desire to leave a legacy in the built environment. Upon graduation I went straight to receive my master’s in architecture. But I met a harsh reality when I entered the profession: I was going to change not the world, but the bathroom in a corporate office. The experience did teach me about the financial realities of this profession — a lesson too many idealistic designers have to learn the hard way.

In 2006, my wife entered a program at Oxford University, and I found myself in London, where the money was flowing, interesting buildings were getting built and architects were making their mark. I joined a small studio, taking a lead role on a modern opera house in Wexford, Ireland. I was flying to Ireland regularly, meeting fascinating people, managing multiple interests and creating a building that I was proud of.

As the opera house neared completion, I had the opportunity to join Zaha Hadid Architects. Working for this firm, with its cutting edge design and use of technology and materials, had always been a goal of mine. I joined the team for the 2012 London Olympics Aquatics Centre, and found myself immersed in a world of complex geometry and complex stakeholders.

After three years in London, my wife and I had enough of the weather and cost of living. The legacy of my upbringing was to crave a well-designed life, too. We decided to risk it all and move to Austin. We bought a midcentury modern house that reminded me of my first home in San Antonio. We got a dog and had a son. What I didn't expect was that I would stay on the project for another three years, working on the London Olympics from my dining room table in Austin. I was living in a great city, working for a great architect and leaving a legacy for the people of London. The project was recently handed over ahead of next year’s Games.

Today I am hustling. I’ve moved from focusing on one big project at a time to spreading out my interests. In addition to my own projects, I teach at UT, considering each class a lab for both students’ ideas and my own. I invest time in learning about Austin: the drivers of the built environment and the people who make up our great human capital. Due to Austin’s rapid growth, open culture and great people, there is a spirit of experimentation in music, the arts and lifestyle. But this spirit has not fully transferred to architecture. We do have some examples of great design, old and new. But in the worst cases, the quick dollar has replaced common sense and long-term investment in the form and functionality of our city.

Architecture has a huge responsibility when it comes to a city’s culture and sense of community. Design lies at the heart of the difference between a cohesive community and a divisive one. Cookie-cutter houses do damage to the fabric of a neighborhood. If public, cultural and commercial buildings are poorly thought out, they can add to an accumulation of poor design that defines our community. Combating these trends is not easy. Architects have to continue to innovate so we can offer buildings that are well designed, appropriate and competitive. And as a city, we have to make long-term investments in a culture of respect for great design.

I’m excited to be in Austin today because we have the opportunity to invest in great design — from residential to commercial to public. My exposure to design from an early age has shaped the person I am, and I think my son can have the same opportunity here. It’s my responsibility to leave that legacy I’ve been searching for, not in one great building but in a lifetime of pushing for good and thought-provoking design. For more information on Clay, visit clayshortall.com.