Building the community is a daily responsibility for David P. Allain, who grew up in New Iberia exposed to his father Paul J. Allain’s architecture firm. He is now a major contributor to the firm and the city as an architect.

A drive down Main Street or boating on Bayou Teche reveals evidence of his hand at work — Bayou Teche Museum renovations and expansion, Cane River Pecan Company, Church Alley Pocket Park and Bike Trail, New Iberia Canoe/Kayak Dock, Bayou Teche Shoreline Park, Iberia Parish Fire Training Facility and more. Historic and new developments are part of his daily routine.

“I hope being one of the 20 Under 40 helps to motivate others to pick up the pace with ways they can contribute through nonprofits, their professions or just spreading positive messages, and finding ways that we can keep stimulating the community so it doesn’t become stagnant,” Allain said. “It takes the government effort, the community effort and everyone working together to make these good things happen.”

One of the projects proving Allain’s point is the new West End Park splashpad. He not only is the architect of record for the design of the water playground, but is part of the selection process for the new equipment to be installed with the renovations. As a former skateboarder, he also added to the restoration of the Bayou Wheels Skatepark at New Iberia’s City Park.

Allain had the opportunity to grow in larger cities, first in Baton Rouge while attending LSU and then in New Orleans. He knew the experience would only enhance the lifestyle he would choose for maturing his craft and family interests.

“At Louisiana State University, being involved with the architecture program opened my eyes to what was happening around the country and the world,” the NISH graduate said. “Being able to understand how that can relate back to New Iberia was definitely a driving force to come back to my community to accomplish something. It’s taken a few years to establish the momentum, but it is happening.”

Allain can see how the community has progressed and is contributing to its growth. While living in New Orleans he found it encouraging and exciting to see how some of the things being done there could be applied to New Iberia.

“That is probably one of the reasons I wanted to come back,” Allain said. “I enjoy the small town environment. It’s easier to put your foot down and have a stride where you can have a voice compared to a bigger city where your competition is much harder.”

In addition to learning the craft of architecture at LSU, he met his future bride, Chandler Morvant Allain, who now also works with the firm as an architect.

Allain and his wife like to travel to other small towns around the country to see what they are doing to bring prosperity and grow new businesses in historic places.

“You could build Disneyland and have it look like downtown, but you’re missing a key element and that’s history,” Allain said. “Downtown is real, as real as it gets. It’s just a matter of polishing it up and finding ways to utilize those old buildings.”

“I hope being one of the 20 Under 40 helps to motivate others to pick up the pace with ways they can contribute through nonprofits, their professions or just spreading positive messages, and finding ways that we can keep stimulating the community so it doesn’t become stagnant.”                   

— David Allain