Vance Harris

What’s your favourite DIALOG project?: I have a soft spot for Granville Island. As a young coastal BC kid, I remember hearing on CBC Radio about this amazing new place being created along Vancouver's working shoreline. My parents took us there shortly after it opened and I immediately formed an indelible working definition of what it meant to be urban.
What’s one thing about you that would surprise people?: I can whip up a good pie in no time.
Do you have a passion project outside of work?: I am working on how best to adapt a 108 year-old house to the growing needs of an active family, an evolving neighborhood, and an uncertain energy future.

Vance brings his passion for design, technical coordination, and leadership to the DIALOG team. He uses his wide range of skills for a diverse set of project types, including transit infrastructure, complex mixed-use residential, civic, hospitality, and public art. Vance has led design and coordination efforts on game-changing light rail projects in several large Canadian cities. In each case, his work begins with analyzing community land-use patterns, and finishes with thoughtfully detailing the passenger realm.

Vance has coordinated many major public art installations, including the Royal Canadian Navy Monument in the nation’s capital. He is currently interested in exploring the use of mass timber technology in private developments. Vance now leads an international team of consultants as Principal-in-Charge of the iconic Vancouver House project.

As Vancouver's Studio Chair, Vance is strategic in helping to connect our clients, our local relationships, and DIALOGers to deliver world-class service and design.

As a modest and diplomatic leader, Vance uses constructive criticism, effective mediation, and firm design direction to benefit his team and client groups. A collaborative city builder, Vance is dedicated to developing and leveraging DIALOG's Community Wellbeing Framework. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Arts (with distinction) from the University of Victoria. In his spare time, Vance coaches youth soccer, dabbles in organic gardening, and acts as a mentor to upcoming design professionals.

I have immense gratitude to be in a collaborative career where I can dream at the city scale, create with both sides of my brain, and ultimately make beautiful places for people to enjoy.

Vance Harris