Rachel Hutchinson

Rachel is the Senior Programme Manager at the Design Council. She oversees the development and programme management of a portfolio of place and infrastructure client projects – with housing delivery an area of particular focus. In addition, Rachel manages the delivery of the Design Academy programmes, accelerating place-based innovation through systemic design thinking.

Before joining the Design Council, Rachel set up and managed the ‘Challenge Lab’, a pilot social innovation lab based at the University of the Arts, London. While there, she created a programme of socially-engaged design research residencies, co-design projects embedded in hyperlocal communities, and challenge-based innovation workshops that addressed key climate and social inclusion issues in south London. She also co-created and launched the university’s Placemaking Framework and Toolkit, catalysing the delivery of place-based impact projects underpinned by a shared vision and theory of change model.

Rachel is also an experienced cultural placemaking strategist, having worked with both private, public and third-sector clients to devise destination narratives and cultural development plans at all scales from site-specific to city-wide masterplans. As the Business Manager and Senior Strategist at cultural placemaking agency Futurecity, she oversaw the portfolio of strategic and public art delivery projects in addition to expanding the company’s public sector portfolio.

Rachel holds an MA in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths University. Her practice focusses on socially-engaged design and placemaking, and she has guest lectured at University of the Arts, London and Istituto Marangoni.

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys going to the theatre, boxing and picking up new hobbies that involve making and traditional crafts.