Blueprints For Change: a talk by the UK Government's Chief Architect Sarah Allan

This event is in partnership with Grimshaw and The Urban Room Foundation. Please note that due to limited capacity this event is by invite only. 

Sarah Allan is the UK Government's Chief Architect through her leadership of Architecture and Urban Design within the Chief Planner's Directorate of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. With over 25 years of experience spanning public policy, urban design, and housing innovation, Sarah brings a unique perspective on how architecture can drive meaningful change in society.  Join us for this opportunity to hear from Sarah during her visit to New Zealand to receive the inaugural Hood Fellowship from the University of Auckland.

Sarah Allan is a leading figure in UK architecture and as the Head of Architecture and Urban Design within the Chief Planner’s Directorate of the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, she is effectively, the United Kingdom’s Chief Government Architect. Prior to her current position, Sarah worked for nine years as development manager and then managing director at SolidSpace, an independent architect-led developer. Before this, Sarah worked in local government as housing lead for an Ecotown in Hampshire and for over seven years at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. While at CABE Sarah was head of urban design and homes helping to embed design quality tools and processes in large-scale government programmes such as the Thames Gateway and other housing growth areas. Sarah started her career as an architect working for eight years in private practices. Sarah attended Kingston University and The Bartlett (UCL), completing her architecture diploma in 1995, and then earned a Master’s in Cities from the London School of Economics,