It was never ‘if’ but ‘when’ – van der Zalm + associates would become my professional focus.  Starting very humbly in 1999, I filed my business papers to create a proprietorship from the spare bedroom of my apartment on the west side of Vancouver.  My wife and I had been married less than a year, and quitting my day job as a parks designer with the Township of Langley was the first of many decisions that drew concern from my family, and instilled a sense of excitement and optimism for both of us.  Since completing my education at Utah State University, and completing a series of internships, and volunteer positions, I felt ready and eager to start my own practice, as part of a life-long dream of independence and adventure!  Early commissions included working for small developers, not-for profits, and creating designs for private residential clients.  Life was good, work was fun, and we were actually building our future.

In 2001 VDZ+A co-habited a small office on Homer street, downtown Vancouver.  This professional separation from home set me on a course to build our staff team, and take on bigger challenges.

Over the course of the first five years of VDZ+A, we got heavily involved with youth sports, street-culture, and skateboarding in particular.  Through some genuine friendships, I began working with a group of young skaters who needed help from a registered professional to push their ideas for skateboarding and the design of public skateparks into the mainstream.  This commitment to innovative design, and the people who make up the skate community has helped build VDZ+A in no small part. We are still actively and passionately involved in the skateboarding community to this day.

Our first large public park commission came in 2003 with the award of Holland Park – Surrey’s first urban park, in the heart of city centre.  This challenge allowed us to navigate a complex public process, develop concepts to meet the needs of a diverse stakeholder group, and deliver a compelling design that remains the focus for the city centre to this day.  We are very proud to see people enjoying our work during various city festivals, rallies, and public gatherings.  This was indeed a turning point for VDZ+A, and set the tone, for our 60/40 work split – private commissions: public work.

Moving from our office in the Mercantile building (355 Homer), into a warehouse in Port Kells – was an important and humbling step in our growth as an organization.  Through the generosity of family, we were able to manage a larger office space and eventually staff up to more than 10 committed young professionals who had a hunger for design, and a passion for delivering on projects that pushed the limits of our abilities and previous experience.  Work was challenging, our office heat and cooling systems non-existent, and the fumes of diesel fuel simmered beneath our floor boards from the cold root cellar storage and forklift operations during winter months!  Our environs were humble – but our staff were dedicated, and we were having fun!

Through this period, VDZ+A established an office in Beijing with Partner Qiang Shan.  This adventure was hatched between friends, and grew into a serious international design office within the third ring of Beijing’s business centre.  From 2006-2012 I made many trips to Asia, for significant waterfront projects, mountain resort design commissions, and large urban housing plans.  Through it all, we remained adventurous, inquisitive, and eager to learn more on a greater scale.  The experience in China created a strong sense of confidence in our ability to participate in complex projects with large inter-disciplinary teams.  Although the experience was invigorating, the travel and uncertainty of regime changes in the PRC was taking a toll, and we determined that it was best to focus our efforts in the Lower Mainland, and wind up operations in our satellite.

In the latter part of 2012 – our firm was growing, and we decided to make another move to a larger, more modern office space, that could house more people – comfortably.  We established ourselves in Golden Ears business park, Langley and welcomed more staff into the fold. Over the course of the next 5 years, our firm grew to 25 professionals and our portfolio changed dramatically, with many more public park commissions, large-scale urban development projects and significant planning endeavors for public agencies.  The firm was rewarded with several national awards in Canada, the United States, and China.  Our reputation and breadth of influence were growing, and our project load was layered with both significant public and private work.

In 2018 – VDZ+A welcomed a second principal into the firm, with the promotion of David Jerke.  Dave had been a long-time staff member and trusted member of the core team.  It was time to share some responsibility and to build the firm together.  Also in 2018, VDZ+A Mount Pleasant was established, with Dave leading the team.  After a 17 year hiatus, it was time to shorten the commute for many of our staff, and to show a commitment to sustainability, and our loyal clients, who continued to provide project commissions within the city despite our head office being in the suburbs.

After establishing our new Vancouver design studio the year before – VDZ+A has moved into our new Valley headquarters in the heart of the quaint, Fort Langley Village. We operate as two distinct offices, but with a shared culture.  We are excited about this evolution and our new location within the geographic centre of the village – A location that provides unique opportunities for our Valley clients, and staff alike, as well as a beautiful, walkable experience for staff. The Fraser Valley continues to be a large area of growth and focus for our firm. We are proud to be involved in some of the most challenging park, urban design, and mixed-use developments from Surrey City Centre, to Abbotsford Town Centre.