Alex O'Grady was born in Lidcombe, Sydney and studied architecture at Sydney University. He was formally registered as an Architect in NSW in 1969. After several years in architectural practice and other building-related work, he established Aloha Designs where he worked as a sole practitioner from 1985 until his retirement in 2018. He undertook work of a diverse nature in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. This included designs for tourist hotels and resorts, educational facilities, commercial projects such as shops, restaurants, offices and also domestic architecture like single and multiple dwellings.