Architect

your home should be as unique as you are

You could say the construction industry is in John Donkin’s blood. With English stone masons on his father’s side, and master builders of homes and churches on his mother’s side, a passion for the design and style of buildings came naturally.

He grew up in a 160-year-old house in a small town in southern Ontario, moving to Ottawa to attend university. While he was there, he stumbled upon architecture by accident, and knew he had found his calling. He graduated from the School of Architecture at Carleton University, then worked as a project architect in two prominent Ottawa architectural firms on a variety of residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. He started John Donkin Architect in 1997,

He has lived in Switzerland, Spain, and the west coast of Canada, and has a particular interest in European design approaches. He built his first home, an 1,100 square foot family house, in Ottawa East and now resides in an contemporary renovation of an 1895 house in Old Ottawa South.

John has experience in all aspects of project design, management and construction, including zoning interpretation, architectural design, site planning, budget and cost analysis, construction documentation, the preparation of tender documents and analysis of tenders, contract administration, site review and the certification of payments. He is also experienced in energy efficient building technology, including LEED Platinum and Silver, and passivhaus energy standards. He designed the first residential green roof in Ottawa and was an early adopter of modernist design in the city. He takes pride in his attention to detail and interest in context and site, and enjoys collaboration with consultants in engineering, landscaping, lighting, and builders.

In his spare time, he enjoys canoeing, skiing, and cycling, and is a cub and scout leader in his community.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Ottawa Regional Society of Architects (ORSA), Member since 1997
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), Member Since 1998
• Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), Licensed Member since 1996