Brian P. Alcott

Writer, Speaker & Engineer · Houston

Brian P. Alcott is a Houston writer whose narrative nonfiction explores how people shape the places they live, and how those places shape them. His reporting follows refugee women farming in Alief, a glassblower bringing an old-world craft to the East End, and the bridges and street tiles that hold the city's history.A licensed civil engineer with more than 25 years in infrastructure, he brings a builder's eye to stories of community, memory, and belonging. He speaks on the history of the built environment, including at the Texas Historical Commission's Real Places 2027 conference.

Current Reporting

Shamba Ya Amani: Farm of Peace — Houstonia
On a once-overgrown lot off Dairy View Lane in Alief, refugee women from Burundi and the Congo grow the crops of home, and rebuild their lives along the way.Houston House of Glass — Houstonia
A hometown glassblower trained in Murano and Japan brings an old-world craft to Houston's East End, where his mother's quilts shape his glass and the public is welcome to watch him work.

Speaking

The Infrastructure of Place: Why Historic Right-of-Way Features Matter
Real Places 2027 · Texas Historical Commission · Austin, Texas · May 5–7, 2027

Published Writing

Selected articles from Texas Civil Engineer

Contact

I'd love to hear about assignments, speaking opportunities, collaborations, or story ideas.

[email protected]