Award

Sechelt Justice Building, Sechelt, B.C. North Shore Hospice, North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver Fire Hall No.5, Vancouver, B.C. Pitt Meadows Fire Hall, Pitt Meadows, B.C. Nanoose Bay Fire Hall, Nanoose Bay, B.C. D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 | 7 Johnston Davidson Architecture P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N D R E W L AT R EI L L E P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N D R E W L AT R EI L L E P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N D R E W L AT R EI L L E Although friends assumed Johnston's daughter would make sport her profes- sion, she found the lure of architecture irresistible. "I studied art history at UBC and was fascinated with how life was represented on canvas and other mediums," she says. "I loved watching dad work in the office – so following in his footsteps seemed natural. He impacted my brother as well, who is an industrial designer." Following her father's passing in 2010, Johnston vowed to maintain JDa's values; but, realizing the benefits of the IPD process and the growing need for protective services, she focused increasingly on those facets of business. Currently some of their IPD projects consist of working innovatively with the City of Burnaby on fire halls 4 and 8 and well as Fire Hall No. 2 for the District of Squamish, which is designed to accommodate housing above it at anytime. Johnston also ensured that JDa gained expertise in co-location facilities that mix municipal services with affordable housing and/or other civic operations. The result was designing Vancouver Fire Hall No.5 and housing complex (the first of its kind in Canada), a LEED Gold project in which sustainable and energy efficient design strategies are combined with the specific programmatic needs of the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services and the Y WCA. The 21,000-square-foot fire hall includes three apparatus bays and supporting spaces, and the 36,000 square feet of housing includes 31 suites, amenity rooms, and communal roof- top outdoor spaces. Evolving JDa in this manner invites two key questions: doesn't working predomi- nantly on municipal/public projects limit one's creative abilities? And isn't Johnston, like an actor gaining fame for a specific role, worried about being typecast? Botelho addresses the former issue. "Working in the public realm has given us lots of creative leeway because we're relied upon to develop a vision – as opposed to some clients in the private sector who try to impose ideas that aren't feasible." Johnston adds good-naturedly, "I've been known to ask some people, 'Why buy a dog if you're going to bark yourself?'" As for being typecast, she says, "Our portfolio is diversified – it even includes over 50 acute care and non-acute health-care projects, university buildings, police stations, city halls, and childcare facilities – but I don't mind being pigeonholed. It reminds me of an instance when a project manager told us con- descendingly, 'Oh, you're just suburban architects.' And I replied, 'If you mean we're approachable and like working with people, I can live with that.'" As JDa's principals and staff prepare for a busy workload in 2024, Johnston exudes the confidence of presiding over a company that is well-positioned for future opportunities. "We're in a good place," she says, smiling as JDa's canine mascot, Louie, wanders through the office. "The IPD teams we've worked with have been fantastic and exciting projects are coming down the pipe. "About the only thing we're wary of is expansion: we never want to grow to the point where it would compromise the collaborative approach to work. When I throw the ball into the open air, I always want to know it will be caught by a colleague." A

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