Alexandra Carr

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Alexandra Carr

 https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5107-4979

    Overview

    Profile summary

    Alexandra Carr is a Research Assistant and Doctoral Researcher within the School of Art, Design, and Architecture at the University of Plymouth. Her research explores the roles of creative thinking and material experimentation within collaborative design development and works with rural and coastal community groups often disenfranchised from mainstream ‘design economy’ discourses. 
    Alexandra recently concluded her role as Research Assistant for the Digital Together project, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity/CIOS Good Growth fund between 2023 and 2025.  The project worked closely with community hubs to embed digital skills and access to support the collective aims of improving health and wellbeing – understanding that digital can be a significant tool in supporting wellbeing and reducing delivery costs for health and social care. The partners of Digital Together include CRCC, Cornwall Council, University of Plymouth, University of Exeter, Citizens Advice, and Age UK. 
    Creative interviews, codesign workshops, community engagement, and in-residence qualitative methods are central to Alexandra's research approach. Her research interests actively explore the intersection of participatory design methods, technology, and social justice. Alongside her RA role with Digital Together, Alexandra is working on her doctoral research project “Reconceptualising codesign practice within rural and coastal contexts” in Digital Art and Technology at the University of Plymouth (expected completion date Dec 2025) and has collaborated as a Research Associate for the AHRC-funded Design Exchange Partnerships Project “Building with/for Bridport: A systems thinking methodology for housing codesign in rural and coastal communities”. Her work is currently contributing to the development of situated codesign toolkits and strategies for affordable community housing and the use of natural materials in construction in Bridport, a rural town in West Dorset. 

    Teaching interests

    2023 Associate Lecturer 
    (Feb-May) Digital Built Environment, BLDG409 
    University of Plymouth 

    2020-2022 Visiting Specialist 
    BA Hons Product and Furniture, BA Hons Interior Design, MA Design 
    University of Plymouth 

    Additional information

    Grants contracts
    Research Associate 0.6 FTE, Feb 2023 - Feb 2024. “Building with/for Bridport: A systems thinking methodology for housing codesign in rural and coastal communities.”, AHRC Design Exchange Partnership: design the green transition, Round 1. Award value £22,232 (80% FEC). Total project cost £33,790 incl. £6000 match funding from Wessex Community Assets. Research institution: University of Plymouth. Non-academic organisation: Wessex Community Assets 
     
    Research Assistant 1.0 FTE Nov 2021 - May 2022. “Participatory Housing Manufacturing”, Connected Everything: Accelerating Digital Manufacturing Research Collaboration and Innovation. Award value £45,613 (80% FEC). Research institution: University of Plymouth. Non-academic partner: Raise the Roof Partnership 

    Research Assistant May 2021. University of Plymouth Arts-Health Fund, project “Hard Data” in partnership with the School of Psychology, University of Plymouth
     

    Awards and prizes  
    2020 The Belmond Award, New Designers 2020  
    2020 Devon Guild of Craftsman Visual Arts Prize  

    Peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations 

    VELIZ, A., CARR, A., CRABTREE, T., 2024. Emerging techno-geographies: Co-making and imagining community-built housing. IN: V. Fors and M. Berg (Eds.). The De Gruyter Handbook of Automated Futures, Volume III: Impact. De Gruyter. (Publication September 2024) 

    CARR, A. VELIZ, A., 2024. Spaces for co-creating rural futures: Bridport's Living Lab', in Careful Collaborations: Ethics and Care in Cultural Knowledge Exchange and Trans-Disciplinary Research, Research Report. NCACE. Available at: https://ncace.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NCACE-Research-Report-Collaborations.pdf 

    CARR, A., VELIZ, A., 2023. Placemaking by making: The techno-geographies of housing co-production. Creativity, Knowledge, Cities Conference 2023: New futures for creative economies. 29-30 March 2023, Bristol, United Kingdom. 

    VELIZ, A., CARR, A., 2022. Participatory Housing Manufacturing. Project presentation at the Connected Everything Conference 2022: Digital Manufacturing Research Collaboration and Innovation. 18-19 May 2022, Liverpool, United Kingdom. 

    Academic qualifications

    Design, and creative and performing arts, Other higher degree (e.g. Masters degree), MA Design, University of Plymouth

    Award Date: 13 Nov 2021

    Design, and creative and performing arts, First Degree, BA 3D Design, University of Plymouth

    Award Date: 17 Jun 2020

    Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    1. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
      SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    2. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
      SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
    3. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
      SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
    4. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
      SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
    5. SDG 13 - Climate Action
      SDG 13 Climate Action
    6. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
      SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    7. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
      SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

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    Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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    • 3 Chapter
    • 2 Conference proceedings published in a book
    • 1 Abstract
    • 1 Review article
    View all 7 research outputs