BC TOP 10 ARCHITECTS
DA Architects + Planners,
designers of more than just buildings
The CDCR Special Feature
From its founding in 1969, DA Architects + Planners has
grown from a residential practice to one whose work has
included schools, hotels, large mixed-use facilities and
urban communities. All are based on the company’s orig-
inal vision that they are designing ‘more than just a build-
ing.’ Randy Knill, partner, says the firm originally opened as
Downs/Archambault & Partners, but underwent a renewal
process in 2008 and was re-branded as DA Architects +
Planners in response to the retirement of the founding
partners and to express the breadth of the practice.
“Originally the firm started with mostly residential pro-
jects reflecting the contemporary aesthetics of mid-cen-
tury regional modernism and then grew as the design
approach and philosophy matured.”
As it demonstrated design sensitivity and expertise,
community centres and schools led to larger residential
and more complex projects. DA also collaborated, says
Knill, with other firms forming an Urban Design Planning
Team for the Post – Expo False Creek Lands which led to
the firm working along the north side of False Creek and
an opportunity to illustrate its ‘more than just a building’
approach. 18 – Winter 2018 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
“The architecturally defined public and private realm
open spaces contributed to a more varied and engaging
pedestrian experience, as we developed the design ap-
proach that emphasized that the space between the build-
ings was as important as the buildings themselves. From
the early projects where enhanced landscape gardens fea-
tured local natural materials, to large, complex urban
spaces today, DA’s vision consistently carries through.”
He says architecture that engages environmental and
social sustainability issues has also always been at the