Studio

 

Doctor of Design Symposium – June 2023

The University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape held the annual Doctor of Design (DDes) Symposium from June 9-11. The symposium highlighted the research done by DDes students over the year including defenses by the inaugural graduating cohort of the program.

Among them, Barry Johns successfully defended his thesis entitled DENSIFICATION Responsive to PLACE and DEMOGRAPHIC Change.

Congratulations are extended to the other successful DDes candidates – Teresa Goldstein, Michael Donaldson, and Amy Tsang.

 

Archinect Interview

Barry Johns was recently interviewed by Archinect, a preeminent online resource for Architects.

Barry shared his experiences with the University of Calgary Doctor of Design (DDes) program and related research into the densification of housing typologies in mature urban neighborhoods.

 

SITUATING Design in Alberta

Situating Design in Alberta CoverBarry Johns completed an 8500 word essay as the first Chapter in a new book edited by Isabel Prochner and Tim Antoniuk entitled SITUATING DESIGN IN ALBERTA. Published by the University of Alberta Press and released in December 2021, Reset: Changing the Built Environment in Alberta traces the origins of culture, place, suburbia and the Modern Movement in the context of city making and speculates on the future of cities in the province. The Foreword is written by Douglas Cardinal.

 

Doctor of Design

Since September 2020, Barry Johns is pursuing a Doctor of Design (DDes) at the University of Calgary, a practice based program which is the first of its kind in Canada. His research topic is Infill and missing middle typologies in mature urban neighborhoods focussed on creating community and an environment that fosters innovation and affordability, through new business models and respectful housing development via mass customization. The DDes draws upon reflection and evaluation of one’s own practice, plus broader research into relevant projects around the world. This complex subject in context with an aging Canadian population, dramatically changing demographics and anticipating how we might live in a post Covid-19 world; represents a new chapter in a rewarding career.