Back to 2023 Spring COAA Connect Speakers
Derek Jones
Principal
Perkins&Will (Charlotte, NC)
Contact information may be available to logged in members.
Speaker Bio
The son of academic parents, Derek grew up in a Los Angeles home steeped in scholarly inquiry. His mother emigrated from Beijing at the age of 16, and as a boy, Derek frequently traveled with his parents to Japan and China. Later, while pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts in Japan, the scale of Derek’s art projects became larger and larger until he realized that his creative talents were meant for architecture.
Derek’s experiences abroad as a cultural outsider guides his approach to design, informs his ability to question accepted norms and view library, cultural, and community projects with an analytical eye. In this way, he helps clients explore the gray areas between experiential learning and institutional storytelling. As the museum and library practice leader at Perkins&Will, Derek focuses on choreographing cultural experiences by bridging across disciplines to find richer, more relevant purpose. In this way, he uses design to help clients tell their stories of physical and cultural place.
Derek’s experiences abroad as a cultural outsider guides his approach to design, informs his ability to question accepted norms and view library, cultural, and community projects with an analytical eye. In this way, he helps clients explore the gray areas between experiential learning and institutional storytelling. As the museum and library practice leader at Perkins&Will, Derek focuses on choreographing cultural experiences by bridging across disciplines to find richer, more relevant purpose. In this way, he uses design to help clients tell their stories of physical and cultural place.