Howard Coles – PEI’s Newest Fellow in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

Howard Coles joins Larry Jones and Ole Hammarlund as a Fellow of the RAIC. Howard was born in 1951 and raised in Summerside. After graduating from Athena High School, he went on to study Civil Engineering at the University of New Brunswick, graduating in 1974 and furthered his studies at the Technical University of Nova Scotia(now Dalhousie), earning a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies in 1976 and a Bachelor of Architecture in 1978. Howard became a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada in 1976 and joined the RAIC in 1978. Howard started his profession with Coles Associates Ltd., in Charlottetown in 1978, then moved to Vancouver to work with Henry Hawthorn Architects for nine years. In 1987, Howard returned to PEI to work as Chief Architect and Civil Engineer with Coles Associates Ltd. and in 2001 Howard took over as President. Through the firm, he has provided services throughout Canada, as well USA, Central America, Argentina, Brazil, China and India. Project types have included educational, healthcare, industrial, multi-unit residential and commercial buildings as well as numerous investigative engineering projects and feasibility studies. Howard has served two, two year terms as President of the Architects’ Association of PEI and numerous terms as councillor, treasurer and other council positions, and has represented AAPEI on CCAC (Committee of Canadian Architectural Councils) and CALA (Canadian Architectural Licensing Authority) national bodies and as representative on the committee promoting National Building Code of Canada adaption for the province of P.E.I.

Howard served as the inaugural president of the Bid Depository of P.E.I. Also a registered professional engineer, Howard has served as an important link between AAPEI and the Island Engineers.