7 African-American Architects Who’ve Built Successful Careers in a Challenging Industry

Allison Williams

Allison Williams is responsible for setting the design strategy at San Francisco architecture firm Perkins & Will. As Design Principal, she works on the company’s projects that include cultural institutions, corporate facilities, and high-rise developments. Some of her key designs include the August Wilson Center for African American culture in Pittsburgh; the San Francisco Civic Center Complex; the Singapore National Research Foundation; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX; and The African American Cultural Center of Pittsburgh. Allison received her B.A. in The Practice of Art and a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She currently sits on the boards of directors for the San Francisco-based Exploratorium and the Museum of the African Diaspora.