Graeme Verhulst

Principal Architect AIBC, NSAA, MRAIC, CPHD

Barrhead, Alberta, Canada

Graeme is a founding principal of Waymark Architecture, based in Victoria, BC. With over a decade of leading an architectural practice and a background in political philosophy and environmental activism, he brings a principled, systems-minded approach to his work — one grounded in a desire to support how people live and interact with their surroundings in ways that are equitable, sustainable, and lasting.

His path into architecture began unconventionally: while working as a cheesemaker on a small organic dairy farm, he built a cob structure by hand — and never looked back. Since then, Graeme has become among Canada’s first architects to be trained in the Passive House standard, and he used that training to lead the design of high-performance, climate-resilient buildings that serve people and communities over the long term. He is especially proud of the Charter Telecom Headquarters in Victoria, one of the first commercial office buildings in North America to be certified to the Passive House standard.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an architect?

When I was younger, I was very interested in getting into scientific research or public policy. Now, though, I expect I would still be involved in buildings somehow, perhaps by working as a developer of sustainable and affordable homes.
What’s a simple pleasure that brings you joy outside of work?

Outside of architecture, I enjoy life with my young family, a good coffee, and time in the garden.
What’s one thing you’re genuinely curious about outside of architecture?

I’ve always been interested in how big problems are tackled collectively, in particular, what is effective and what is not. Climate change is probably the best example of a big, collective problem that we all need to tackle.