Darin Johnstone is an award-winning Los Angeles-based architect and educator. With 30 years of experience in the field of architecture and 25 years spent educating young architects, Johnstone offers a unique perspective at the nexus between practice and academia.

Johnstone founded DJA in 2004 to engage architecture as an experimental, overarching discipline. Today, he provides design direction, review and leadership across all phases of the firm’s projects as it accepts a wide range of design challenges across the spectrum of architecture, urban planning, landscape design, interior design, furniture design and site-specific installation. 

Notably, over the last decade, DJA under Johnstone’s direction has designed and completed multiple award-winning renovation projects and comprehensive program mapping for both ArtCenter College of Design campuses in Pasadena. He has led the firm in the design and redesign of nearly half of ArtCenter’s facilities, with 15 completed renovation projects including projects designed to serve ArtCenter and the surrounding community. 

Since 2002, Johnstone has been a member of SCI-Arc faculty. From 2010 to 2016, he created and directed Design Immersion Days (DID)—SCI-Arc’s introduction to design program for high school students—which was widely recognized, winning multiple awards and grants. He also led a collaboration between SCI-Arc and Habitat for Humanity in 2015 through 2016, resulting in the design and construction of the multi-award-winning IVRV house. Prior to his time at SCI-Arc, he was a design faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona.

Johnstone has received broad industry recognition including many awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as well as prominent industry media honors and grants for his teaching work at SCI-Arc. His work has been published in Architectural Record, Azure, Domus, Dwell, Frame, Interior Design, Los Angeles Times, Surface, The Architect’s Newspaper and many more.

Johnstone received his Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and his Bachelor of Architecture from California State Polytechnic University of Pomona. He is also a long-time AIA member.