In 2012 Alvarez founded IntentionallySmall.com, an internationally recognized blog about small spaces and simple living. Previously, she helped grow a start-up architecture firm in Raleigh, N.C., leading design, management, and outreach projects for the firm. Alvarez received her Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture (2008) and Master of Architecture (2010) from N.C. State University where she was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Medal. In 2011, Alvarez received her Master of Global Innovation Management as a complement to her degrees in architecture. She is active in the community as a member of the YAF Mentoring program, urban livability activist, and architectural photographer.