Professional Registrations
Architect AIBC
Education
Bio
Justin is a registered architect in BC with more than 20 years experience leading creative design projects. As a leader, designer and storyteller with degrees in both architecture and engineering he has followed a rich professional path through fields as diverse as aerospace to photography and ironwork to museum exhibit design.
Justin believes that our built environment is a repository for our collective stories and uses narrative as a tool for design exploration. He is highly collaborative and uses his background in facilitated communication to bring all voices to the table in a safe and respectful forum.
As an active participant in his local and regional communities Justin has held seats on a number of boards and panels including the City of Victoria Advisory Planning Commission, Advisory Design Panel and Downtown Steering Committee and the Oak Bay Advisory Design Panel. He is currently the Regional coordinator for the RAIC Syllabus program
Please tell us about any Volunteer Organizations you are a part of, or Roles you occupy.
I am currently the regional coordinator for the RAIC Syllabus program on Vancouver Island, supporting the training and mentorship of a new generation of designers. I have had the opportunity to sit on several boards and panels including the City of Victoria Advisory Planning Commission, City of Victoria and Oak Bay Advisory Design Panels and the City of Victoria Downtown Steering Committee.
Tell us about your other degrees or qualifications.
I have degrees in both engineering and architecture and have been fortunate to follow a rich professional path exploring these two passions through fields as diverse as aerospace and photography to ironwork and museum exhibit design. I draw on this background every day to bring an understanding of structure, aesthetics, and functionality to every project that I'm privileged to be involved with.
What other specific interests within the field of architecture do you have?
I'm a story teller! I love the way that our built environment gathers and holds our collective stories, from the organic evolution of a tree house, to the brickwork of a city fabric to cathedrals and cultural institutions where we share a vision beyond ourselves. I use narrative as a tool for design exploration and truly believe that we all have something to contribute.
Are there specific books for schools of thought in architecture that inspire you?
Narrative Architecture by Nigel Coates (a wonderful way to see and explore the built world we inhabit)
The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton (what more do I need to add?)
Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Robert Venturi (I'm not often moved by his work, but the ideas in this book are wonderfully thought provoking)
Architecture, Form, Space and Order by Francis Ching (a classic, but for good reason)
Is there an architecturally significant city you would like the visit, and why?
Istanbul. I've dreamed of visiting since I was a kid and have tentative plans for a trip next year... As the geographic bridge between Europe and Asia, Turkey has literally been awash in history since humans first began to settle and build cities. The cultural layers that have accumulated over those years, as empires and rose and fell like tides has left a legacy of stories that you could spend a lifetime exploring.
