Vaughan was born into a family involved in the timber industry in Coos Bay, Oregon, United States. His grandfather owned a logging company called Coos Bay Logging. In 1965, Vaughan received his bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Oregon. In 1971, he established the firm Don Vaughan & Associates. In 1974, he became the consulting campus landscape architect for the University of Victoria in Canada, a role in which he continued until 2008. During the late 1980s, Vaughan left landscape architecture and focused on fine arts, receiving a fine arts degree from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver in 1989. In 2001, the company name was changed to Vaughan Landscape Planning and Design and Vaughan's two sons, Mark and Jeff, joined the firm. He is an adjunct professor of the University of British Columbia's School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Designs
Don Vaughan's park designs are often inspired by the Millicoma River in Coos County, Oregon where he spent his childhood summers. These designs incorporate still ponds, waterfalls, and granite sculptures. Vaughan quit the profession for several years because he felt that landscape architecture was taken for granted by people and that landscape architects remained anonymous. He earned his fine arts degree during this hiatus. He then returned to the practice, feeling that he could more successfully incorporate art and meaning to his landscapes. One of Vaughan's more ambitious landscapes is the 1986 Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, where he and architect Joe Wai took ten years to persuade three levels of government and private donors to fund the project, which cost $6.1 million. To help create an authentic Chinese garden, Vaughan enlisted the aid of 52 Chinese artisans. With the exception of the plants, all materials used to create the garden were imported from overseas. When designing the gardens, a yin and yang approach was taken, meaning that there was a balance created between all of the objects in the garden. For example, the intense classical garden was balanced by the passiveness of the large lake and landscape.
For the past 40 years Don Vaughan has been the face of landscape architecture in Vancouver and much of Western Canada. It is no exaggeration to say that by the sheer number, size, and significance of his projects he has influenced the urban fabric of Vancouver, contributing to the scenic and cosmopolitan city that we know today. Through his work and his energy on design teams and review boards, Don has been a design leader and innovator, rallying the design professions—architects, landscape architects and planners—on major projects to his higher vision of what is possible. His legacy is impressive, including countless projects enjoyed by millions and an undeniable influence on the landscape architecture profession in Vancouver.
