John Brown is a registered architect in Alberta. He is the founding Principal of Housebrand, an integrated practice that incorporates architecture, construction, real estate brokerage, and interior design into a one-stop-shop for people looking for a reasonably priced, well designed, and sustainable place to live. He is also a co-founder of the Slow Home Movement, an international advocacy platform devoted to increasing design quality in North America’s housing market. In 2003, John received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Award of Excellence for Innovation for his development of Housebrand. In 2009, he received a Leadership Award from Residential Architect Magazine in recognition of his work to increase public awareness about the value of design.
In addition to his private practice, John is a professor as well as the Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary. He teaches residential design, housing theory, and architectural entrepreneurship. His research engages critical architectural practice and the role of the architect in the normative housing industry. More recently, he has been collaborating with the Faculty of Medicine to develop evidence-based design strategies that support aging-in-place.