Who We Are

We are a small firm, and proud of it.  Based in Vancouver, BC our primary focus is the exploration of the poetic and social potential of sustainability, through the design of public buildings and houses.

The practice is led by Matthew Woodruff, a registered architect in British Columbia. He has extensive professional experience on public projects throughout North America. Matthew’s skills include the design, coordination and facilitation of complex projects that involve a large number of stakeholders and consultants. His passion is to create poetic public projects that can act as beacons of the community. 

Matthew graduated with a degree in Architecture from the University of Waterloo. He developed his career over 10 years with Bing Thom Architects, then decided to launch his own firm in 2007. He is also a part-time design studio instructor at British Columbia Institute of Technology, and a longstanding board member of The Dance Centre in Vancouver.

Justin Power is a LEED accredited professional with a keen interest in sustainable design. He graduated with a degree in Architecture from University College Dublin. Justin developed his career at an international design firm based in Dublin for three years, then joined Matthew Woodruff Architecture in 2009.

Jody Patterson is a registered Intern Architect (IA-AIBC), passionate about the cultural impact of sustainable design. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Waterloo. Jody developed her career at 10 different architecture and design offices across Canada and overseas, then joined Matthew Woodruff Architecture in 2010. She's also an assistant instructor in various architecture courses.

The work of the firm has received a number of awards, including  a Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award of Merit, the AIA/Dwell magazine “Greenest of the Green” award, Western Living Magazine’s Designer of the Year, and the WoodWorks Residential Design Award.  Since the beginning of 2008 their work has been featured in the professional and public press throughout North America and in Europe, and has appeared in several exhibitions.