Design West

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Design West Centre of excellence for design & placemaking. We bring people together to shape better places across the South West.

Founded in 1996, Design West is a centre of excellence for design & placemaking. Our mission is to inspire the public, politicians & professionals across the built environment to design, better, healthier, places to live, work & relax. We learn from our heritage to build our future. A registered charity we put design & social value at our heart. Design West is the new name for The Architecture Centre & Creating Excellence. Our programmes inspire, inform & involve people in the design of the world around them. We work across sectors & society to innovate, co-design & challenge. We are international & local, bringing the best people together to shape better places. We are, collaborative, creative, expert, independent, open & visionary.

28/09/2026

🌱 Have you got an idea that could make Bristol greener?🌱

We're looking for simple, imaginative ideas to bring more nature, biodiversity, water-sensitive design and climate resilience into the heart of Bristol.

The competition, run by Bristol BID in partnership with Design West, is open to professionals, students and emerging designers. Winning entries will help shape Bristol BID's Green and Blue Infrastructure Vision, with a £500 Love Bristol Gift Card awarded to each category winner.

How would you transform 3 city centre spaces?
📍 Bathurst Basin
📍 Hannover Place
📍 The Grove

⏰ Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 1 November 2026
👥 One entry per individual or team
🌐 Visit our website for more details



https://www.designwest.org.uk/big-green-ideas-for-bristol-harbour/

17/09/2026

Ever gazed in awe at the soaring spires of La Sagrada Família or the fantastical forms of Park Güell and wondered how they came to be?

Join Peter Stanford in the centenary year, for Gaudí: God’s Architect, the story of visionary Catalan architect, Gaudí's, work and discover how his tragic life and deep Catholic faith shaped his belief in architecture as a religious vocation.

Why did Gaudí imagine these original sculptural buildings? What creative engineering lies below the building's facades? And would this all be possible without his faith?

💡 Gaudí: God’s Architect
📆 Mon 5 Oct
📍The Architect
🎟️ Ticket link in bio

Join us to explore the life, faith and visionary work of Antoni Gaudí.

24/08/2026

How do you finish Gaudí's masterpiece?

Join us for the incredible story of the Sagrada Família.

⛪ Sagrada Família
🗓️ Thur 24 Sept
📍Arnolfini
🎟️ Ticket link in comments

03/08/2026

Journey into the History of Art with our new course, a detailed look at the 20th Century🎨

⭐️ 6 week Thursday evening course
👆🏼Ticket link in bio

Led by celebrated historian Andrew Foyle, broaden your art history knowledge with this 6 week course.

🌟 Gordano Students Celebrate Shape My City Success 🌟We were proud to see current Year 12 students Bessie and Tess receiv...
13/07/2026

🌟 Gordano Students Celebrate Shape My City Success 🌟
We were proud to see current Year 12 students Bessie and Tess receive their certificates at this year's Shape My City Awards Evening in Bristol, after successfully completing the highly competitive programme.
The event was made even more special by inspiring talks from Gordano alumni Amelia and Joseph, who shared how Shape My City helped shape their educational and career journeys in architecture and engineering.
Congratulations to Bessie, Tess, Amelia and Joseph – fantastic ambassadors for Gordano School! 👏
👉 Read the full story here:: https://www.gordanoschool.org.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/gordano-school-students-shine-at-shape-my-city-awards-evening

06/07/2026

How do you reinvent a landscape? 🌱

Join us to hear the story of one of Europe's most ambitious ecological restoration projects.

🌿Grey to Green
📆 Thur 23 July
📍Arnolfini
🎟️Ticket link in comments

Once a giant of smoke & steel, discover how Germany's Ruhr Valley has been transformed into a green, cultural landmark to last generations.

30/06/2026

Uncover the secret q***r histories of Britain's suburbs 🏳️‍🌈

Spend the evening with John Grindrod, as he takes us through the fascinating history of q***r life beyond the city centre, in his new book 'Tales of the Suburbs'.

📚 Book Talk
📅 Thur 9 Jul, 6.30pm
📍 Design West, Bristol
👆🏼Tickets in bio

This event is for everyone interested in our shared social history. Join us as we delve into this collection of hidden twentieth-century stories of LGBTQ+ lives.

We're thrilled to announce our speakers for next week's talk 'The Story of East Bank' at ! Discover behind the scenes of...
16/06/2026

We're thrilled to announce our speakers for next week's talk 'The Story of East Bank' at !

Discover behind the scenes of the UK's most significant cultural investment of the 21st century, and hear from the masterplanners, designers & architects behind the scheme.

👆🏼Ticket link in bio - everyone welcome

Have you discovered the East Bank yet? The largest cultural investment in the UK since the Festival of Britain and the S...
10/06/2026

Have you discovered the East Bank yet?

The largest cultural investment in the UK since the Festival of Britain and the South Bank in the 1950s, is happening right now.

What’s worked well in London? What’s still to come? And what lessons can we learn for Bristol?

💡The Story of East Bank
📆 Thur 25 June
📍Arnolfini
🎟️ Ticket link in bio

Join us to unpack the collaborative, complex & deeply human story behind London's East Bank.

Introducing our fantastic lineup of speakers for this Thursday's 'A Digital City' talk at !Join us for a discussion on h...
26/05/2026

Introducing our fantastic lineup of speakers for this Thursday's 'A Digital City' talk at !

Join us for a discussion on how technology can inform the cities of tomorrow.

👆🏼Ticket link in bio - everyone welcome.

Address

16 Narrow Quay
Bristol
BS14QA

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 11pm
Tuesday 11am - 11pm
Wednesday 11am - 11pm
Thursday 11am - 11pm
Friday 11am - 11pm
Saturday 11am - 11pm
Sunday 11pm - 5pm

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