FERDINAND JOHNS

Professor Emeritus 
e-mail: oldferdj@yahoo.com
phone: (360) 240-1343

Following a tour as a guided missile destroyer officer and a long night celebrating with two old friends, Ferd decided to become an architect. He received his professional Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Virginia in 1971, and following internship and a passing grade on the registration exam, became Vice-President of Commonwealth Architects in Sarasota, Florida. Ferd left for New York in 1975 to pursue a Master's Degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University. An often-embarrassing two-year initiation into teaching architecture at the University of Oklahoma was followed by yet another move to Annapolis MD, where Ferd combined a busy practice with teaching at the University of Maryland. Beth and Ferd moved their family to Bozeman MT in 1992 so he could accept a faculty position at Montana State University, from which he retired as Professor Emeritus of Architecture in 2008.

Ferd has thoroughly enjoyed a varied and exciting career in architecture and teaching, as well as a supportive and highly accomplished family that includes five children. He received a number of teaching, architectural design and urban design awards over the years, including a National AIA Honor Award for Excellence in Urban Design in 2006, the Distinguished Professor Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture of North America (ACSA) in 2007, and election to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2011. Although Ferd is often busy sailing the Pacific Northwest, Chesapeake and Florida Keys from his home base on Whidbey Island, he remains fully engaged in architecture, planning, urban design and education through active service on the Board of Directors of the International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) Conferences.