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, painter 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.
Justin grew up dividing his time between London (UK) and Boston where he benefitted from opportunities to live, learn and work in several countries. He is grateful to call Canada his home. Justin remains an avid traveler and believes that experiencing other cultures and ways of living offers meaningful insights into our own context. He recently returned from a trip to Central America where he explored urban and rural communities and local responses to the unique design challenges of the region.
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, and have seats on the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC)examination review panel and the District of Saanich Advisory Design Panel, where I provide input as the Complex Building Specialist. I have previously held seats on the City of Victoria Advisory Planning Commission, City of Victoria and Oak Bay Advisory Design Panels, the City of Victoria Downtown Steering Committee and the Victoria-Saanich Citizens Assembly making recommendations for potential municipal amalgamation.
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 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.
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 rose and fell like tides, has left a legacy of stories that you could spend a lifetime exploring.
