Art, Design and Authentic Place: David D. Ortega '77 B.Arch
David D. Ortega ’77 B.Arch, Mayor, City of Scottsdale, Arizona and Principal and CEO, David Ortega Architects & Associates
In 2020, David D. Ortega AIA became the first architect and Latino mayor in the country when he was elected the 12th mayor of Scottsdale, a city of more than 250,000 residents northeast of Phoenix.
Running on a platform that promoted a balance between “quality growth, natural beauty and strong and safe neighborhoods,” Ortega—who graduated from the University of Arizona’s Bachelor of Architecture program in 1977—credits his background in architecture with informing his views as a civic leader.
With nearly a year under his belt as mayor, his accomplishments are mounting—including the city’s recently passed anti-discrimination ordinance, one of his top priorities.
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega with New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg as part of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
But Ortega also recognizes there’s much more to be done, so he’s signed on to the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, which “equips mayors and senior city officials with leadership skills and management tools to tackle their cities’ complex challenges and improve people’s quality of life.” He is one of just 38 mayors worldwide selected to participate in the 2021-22 program.
Ortega’s architecture career began in 1978, when he apprenticed for Bennie Gonzales FAIA, the award-winning architect of the Scottsdale City Hall, Library, Arts Center and Civic Center Plaza. In 1984, Ortega opened David Ortega Architects & Associates in Old Town Scottsdale, eventually designing several buildings in the area.
“I believe my buildings should be postcards for people,” he says, noting that architecture is critical as a creative foundation for neighborhoods.
He came to Tucson and UArizona from Globe, Arizona, in 1972 to study fine art and develop his love of painting. In his first semester he came across a few students who struggled with art and was confused as to why they couldn’t draw. After speaking to them he discovered they were architecture students just learning their craft.
He was so fascinated by this that he walked across Olive Street to talk to Robert McConnell, dean emeritus of what was then the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Ortega told him how fascinated he was by architecture, and the honors student was admitted to the undergraduate architecture program soon after.
During his time in the program, Ortega continued to take courses in the School of Art and participated in the choir. Because of his interests and desire to learn, he racked up 152 units—even though only 120 units were required.
The Scottsdale City Hall, designed by Bennie Gonzales, was built in 1968. Photo courtesy City of Scottsdale.
Ortega also has a deep interest in travel, and his architectural and political work are likewise influenced by different places. In 1970, as a junior in high school, he joined the United Nations Pilgrimage, a bus study tour across the country. Students spent time in Washington D.C. and New York at the United Nations. This important experience allowed him to see the U.S. with students from all over the country.
In 1973, after his first year in the UArizona architecture program, he set out again, this time with a Brazilian friend who was an English major in college. They traveled over 7,000 miles in Mexico and the U.S. and explored architecture. This trip impacted Ortega’s friend so much that by the time they visited Brazil two years later, he had changed his major to architecture.
Ortega’s most rewarding travel experience, however, was with La Salle Arquitectura in Mexico City in 1976. In the UArizona School of Architecture's first exchange hosted by Luis Barragán, Mexican engineer and architect and winner of the 1980 Pritzker Prize, and Ricardo Legorreta, Mexican architect and winner of the American Institute of Architect’s Gold Medal in 2000, Ortega was one of 12 students who participated in excursions that seeded his belief that travel is essential to a fulfilling life experience.
His advice for those considering architecture is to research places—particularly in person. His travel experiences strengthened his design viewpoint. He also appreciates that CAPLA gave him the opportunity to learn much more than just architectural technique, helping him to think even more broadly about design and community.
With a background in art, architecture and authentic place, Ortega brings a rich perspective to his role as Scottsdale mayor—and the skills and insight taught at CAPLA are still evident in his work today.
