John Brown named president of national architecture organization

The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape’s dean John L. Brown was recently named the 80^th president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). The RAIC is the national advocate for architecture in Canada.

A member of the RAIC board since 2015, Dr. Brown, PhD, is particularly excited about the opportunity to establish formal provincial chapters and local networks across Canada.

“We’ve been in local communities with many volunteers working for decades. This is about formalizing that process so the RAIC can better support those initiatives,” Brown explains. 

An award-winning practitioner, educator-researcher and academic leader, Brown brings a unique skill set to the role. As the founding principal of Housebrand and co-founder of the Slow Home Movement, he understands the challenges architects face and the programs and services they need to elevate their practices. He is also a staunch advocate for increasing design quality in North America’s housing market.

As an educator and administrator, intricately involved in the programming and strategic planning at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, he is well aware of changes within the profession, and the kind of education existing and future architects require to be relevant in their field.

Brown is keen to make the world a better place by using architecture to solve real problems. In addition to his private practice, his PhD research focused on strategies for aging in place — using adaptive architecture to allow seniors to remain in their homes.

“The world around us is not well designed for people with differing abilities. My commitment is to find architectural solutions that extend our ability to live independently as long as possible.”

Mike Brennan, the RAIC’s CEO, says, “We’re very fortunate to have had Michael Cox, and now John Brown, as presidents who can really see the big picture and focus on the RAIC’s strategic priorities.”

Brown echoes the sentiment:, “I’m privileged to have been entrusted with the presidency, and it’s not a solo show. My job is to facilitate the work of the team.”