Design Thinking
Interview | Alexandra Allen
DESIGN WEST APPOINTS FIRST CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
As the leading centre for design and placemaking in the South West, Design West is delighted to announce the appointment of Alexandra Allen as its first Chief Operating Officer (COO). This newly created role marks a significant milestone in the charity’s evolution as it expands its impact across the region.
Alex gives her thoughts on the new role, a lifelong relationship with place, and the visionaries who inspire her.
When did you first hear of Design West?
As a long-time Bristol resident, I have been aware of Design West (including in its early form as The Architecture Centre) for many years – visited as a member of the public, took part in professional events as a speaker, hired the fabulous event space for another company I worked for.
Why does design matter?
Design is the fundamental way that we humans shape everything around us! Good design fosters ease, enrichment and enjoyment. In terms of placemaking, design is where we intervene to ensure the outcomes we want and need to see for the planet and for people.
How did you arrive here in your career?
The roots of my arrival at Design West probably start from birth! My parents were deeply involved in preserving the residential neighbourhood called Centretown in Ottawa, Canada – where I was born. In the 1970s, North American cities were demolishing homes to make way for commercial and business district expansion. Our family and our community felt it was essential to the lifeblood of a city that people lived near to where they worked, and that neighbourhoods were active daytime and nighttime. I was a very young volunteer at the non-profit housing organisation that was founded to keep the community intact.
Tell us more about your professional pathway
Professionally, I spent 16 years at Sustrans, the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity. As well as operational and strategic management and a stint leading the business development team, I was Programme Director for their Liveable Neighbourhoods programme. The focus was on practical street design and associated influencing work to ensure that the built environment in the UK actively supported and fostered walking and cycling for everyday travel.
More recently, I’ve helped grow a climate tech business from start-up to scale-up, and through acquisition by Octopus Energy Group. This was great experience working in a fast-paced environment, with a small nimble team.
What changes would you like to see during your tenure with Design West?
Anna and the existing team have built a strong and diverse organisation – we have a solid financial position for a charity of our size in the current climate.
I am excited to help to grow our Design Review and placemaking services to more areas across the South West. The trust the charity has built with our local authority and sector partners is striking. There’s a huge opportunity to grow our work together to drive design quality and placemaking for public benefit.
I’m also excited to help the team to better measure the impact of the great work we do.
But that’s just the first six months or so! I’m hoping to spend many happy years here and continue to build Design West into a well-known and loved centre for excellence for design and placemaking across the region, as well as ensuring our physical building is part of the cultural fabric of Bristol.
What's your favourite building?
My father now lives in a converted pioneer schoolhouse in rural Ontario. All exposed logs, heated by wood stove, the building is completely suited to long cold winters, hot summers, and has an extremely low energy footprint. It is a joy to spend time in.
I studied at Trent University in Canada, the core of which was overseen by Ron Thom, a key figure in Canada’s Modernist movement in the 1960s. Sited on two sides of the Trent river in Peterborough, the buildings are distinctly modernist, and blend beautifully into the natural landscape.
Is there an urban designer you admire?
A person I greatly admire in terms of active place-making and design would be Janette Sadik-Khan, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, 2007-2013 and now advises city teams across the world on how to re-imagine city space. In NYC, she and her team were radically ambitious about reclaiming street space from cars for public use. They were also inventive and agile – using temporary trials to test concepts, confirm or rebut potential opposition to changes. That experimental approach was crucial to building widespread public support, which is what we all want – and need – to see as we work to re-shape our shared places for the long-term.
To discuss how you can partner with Design West across Design Review, Placemaking or Programme contact Alexandra.
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