Don W. Vaughan (born June 21, 1937) is an American landscape architect based in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada.

Biography

Vaughan was born into a family involved in the timber industry in

Coos Bay, Oregon Coos Bay () is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. It shares Coos Bay with the adjacent city of North Bend, Oregon, North Bend. Together, they are often referred to as ...

, United States. His grandfather owned a

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksbachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. In 1971, he established the firm Don Vaughan & Associates. In 1974, he became the consulting campus landscape architect for the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...

in Canada, a role in which he continued until 2008. During the late 1980s, Vaughan left landscape architecture and focused on

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

s, receiving a fine arts degree from the

Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design The Emily Carr University of Art and Design (stylized as Emily Carr University of Art + Design and abbreviated as ECU) is a public university of art school, art and design located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1925 as the Van ...

in Vancouver in 1989. In 2001, the company name was changed to Vaughan Landscape Planning and Design and Vaughan's two sons, Mark and Jeff, joined the firm. He is an adjunct professor of the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

's School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Designs

Vaughan's park designs are often inspired by the Millicoma River in Coos County,

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

where he spent his childhood summers. These designs incorporate still ponds, waterfalls, and granite sculptures. One of Vaughan's more ambitious landscapes is the 1986

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden ( zh, t=中山公園, l=Zhongshan Park) is a Chinese garden in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located in the city's Chinatown, it was the first Chinese garden built outside of Asia. It is locat ...

in Vancouver, where he and architect Joe Wai took ten years to persuade three levels of government and private donors to fund the project, which cost $6.1 million.

Awards

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree was awarded to him by the

in the Fall 2007 convocation. He is a Fellow of the

American Society of Landscape Architects The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship. ...

(ASLA) as well as the

Canadian Society of Landscape Architects The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (; CSLA-AAPC) is the national organization representing 1600 List of landscape architects, landscape architects in Canada's ten provinces and three territories. The organization was founded in 1934. Its m ...

, and is a member of the

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Victoria of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria on 16 ...

. Vaughan's 2005 ASLA Fellow nomination profile noted:

For the past 40 years Don Vaughan has been the face of landscape architecture in Vancouver and much of Western Canada. It is no exaggeration to say that by the sheer number, size, and significance of his projects he has influenced the urban fabric of Vancouver, contributing to the scenic and cosmopolitan city that we know today. Through his work and his energy on design teams and review boards, Don has been a design leader and innovator, rallying the design professions—architects, landscape architects and planners—on major projects to his higher vision of what is possible. His legacy is impressive, including countless projects enjoyed by millions and an undeniable influence on the landscape architecture profession in Vancouver.

Other projects

Vancouver tide sculpture in david lam park

*Ambleside Park, Granite Assemblage, Ambleside, West Vancouver * Bentall Centre and the Burrard Street ALRT Station, Art Phillips Park (formerly Discovery Square), Downtown Vancouver *David Lam Park, ''Marking High Tide'' and ''Waiting for Low Tide'',

Yaletown Yaletown is an area of Downtown Vancouver, Canada, bordered by False Creek and Robson and Homer Streets. Formerly a heavy industrial area dominated by warehouses and rail yards, since the Expo 86, 1986 World's Fair it has been transformed into on ...

, Vancouver *Metrotown Civic Plaza, Metrotown Shopping Center,

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard In ...

, British Columbia *Sun Life Plaza, Vancouver *

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

*Whistler Village,

Whistler, British Columbia Whistler (, ; , ) is a resort municipality in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, approximately north of Vancouver and south of Pemberton, Britis ...

References

External links

Don Vaughan's Wordpress blog

History of Vaughan Landscape Planning and Design

''Surroundings'' Episode 1: "Landscape Architects and Public Art: Bringing Meaning to Place Through Sculpture"
video featuring Don Vaughan, from Rain City Productions {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan, Don 1937 births Living people American emigrants to Canada Architects from Oregon American landscape architects Canadian landscape architects University of Oregon alumni Emily Carr University of Art and Design alumni People from Coos Bay, Oregon Artists from Vancouver Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts