Elena Cocuccioni

As an architect specialising in urban design and masterplanning, Elena is passionate about creating places that work for people and their communities. Since joining McBains in 2013, she has played a key role in delivering major residential schemes and urban extensions of up to 1,400 homes for leading UK housebuilders.

Trusted by colleagues, peers and clients alike, Elena is adept at steering large, complex schemes from early concept through to successful planning approval - always balancing good design with commercial reality.

Originally from Italy and holding dual Italian-UK citizenship, Elena has studied in both countries, gaining a broad perspective on design and place-making. She has also completed a Masters in Sustainable Architecture, specialising in masterplanning and regeneration, through which she developed a strong focus on creating environmentally responsible and future-ready communities.

Elena particularly enjoys the puzzle-solving side of masterplanning, bringing together the many moving parts of a project to create cohesive, lasting neighbourhoods - something she links back to her childhood love of Lego, where fitting pieces together to create something meaningful first sparked her interest in architecture.

Outside work, Elena is a keen tennis fan, enjoys live music and theatre, loves travelling — and still finds time to build the occasional Lego creation!