MARC JOHNSON
Fitzgerald Collaborative
SAY IT LOUD - Georgia
SAY IT LOUD - NOMA 50th Exhibition
Georgia Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
My eyes are set on pushing the innovation limits in design and architecture though parametric and generative design. It intrigues me to develop a machine learning system that is learning to design through an iterative process of learning and testing.
MARC JOHNSON
Bio:
The great architect, Marc Johnson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an Assoc. Principal with Fitzgerald Collaborative. He works from project inception, design and through to construction end providing oversight to final completion. He has worked on notable projects including the Porsche Experience Center and the Center for Civil and Human Rights where he served as the project’s lead architect. He spends his free time advocating for the profession and working with Atlanta’s youth through organizations such as the AIA and NOMA.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
My family’s special event planning business in Los Angeles gave me access to homes and unique buildings that fed my appetite for all things Design. Seeing all the cool public spaces were nice, but I wanted to understand what made a building tick.
What do you do?
I am an architect…so everything. I draw. I collaborate. I call meetings. I take notes. But mostly, I lead whatever project that I have taken on to final execution and hopefully success.
What excites you in the work you do?
I have been fortunate in that just about every project I have worked on in the last 10+ years, it has been a unique experience. From a judicial center, to civil rights museum, to a 6,000 car garage for the Atlanta Airport.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
My eyes are set on pushing the innovation limits in design and architecture though parametric and generative design. It intrigues me to develop a machine learning system that is learning to design through an iterative process of learning and testing.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
There was an article written about me as architect for CCHR and Mom was one of the first to read it. I am very appreciative of the awards I have received over the years, but I was full up with joy as she pridefully shared it with family and beyond.
Featured Project Name:
ATL West Parking Deck
Featured Project Location:
Atlanta, Georgia
Featured Project Completion Date:
2020
Role in Featured Project:
Project Architect
Featured Project Description:
ATL’s West Parking Deck was designed to park close to 6,000 cars on 7-levels of four football fields per level. Your journey starts with a pedestrian pathway through the deck starting from the parked vehicle, to the brightly lit 7-story landscaped courtyard featuring vertical circulation, through the connecting pedestrian bridge to the SkyTrain transit station protected from the elements. The facade design is adorned with a colorized metal screen system and passive kinetic installation.
Photography Credit:
HFWT
Featured Project Name:
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Featured Project Location:
Atlanta, Georgia
Featured Project Completion Date:
2014
Role in Featured Project:
Project Architect
Featured Project Description:
The $75 million, 42,000 sqft museum is dedicated to educating its visitors across the US to the achievements of both the civil rights movement and the broader worldwide human rights movement. The major design feature, the curved walls with multi-faceted façade, represents interlocking arms providing a visual clue to its purpose protecting three levels of unique content spread among the exhibits and galleries that cradle the central space symbolizing unity and harmony.
