Following last week’s visit to Culver City-based ShubinDonaldson, we are keeping our Meet Your Next Employer series in California today to explore the work of Johnston Marklee.

Founded in 1998 and led by Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee, the firm has amassed a diverse portfolio unified by a common exploration of “the relationship between design and building technology.” As we will see below, the firm’s work has been featured heavily in our editorial across recent years, including the completion of their Menil Drawing Institute in 2018 and the appearance of Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee on an episode of Archinect Sessions, also in 2018.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring an Executive Coordinator to join their Los Angeles office. 

For candidates interested in applying for the position, or anybody interested in learning more about the studio, we have looked back on Archinect’s previous coverage of Johnston Marklee to chart a timeline of the firm’s recent developments.

2022–2020: Architecture awards and accolades

Our most recent reporting on Johnston Marklee occurred in November 2022. The firm’s Dropbox Headquarters in San Francisco was one of 42 projects honored at the 2022 AIA|LA Awards, receiving a Merit Award in the Interior Architecture category. Earlier that year, the firm’s founders were among the winners of the Arts and Letters Awards, organized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In February 2022, the firm’s Menil Drawing Institute in Houston, Texas was among the winners of the 2022 Architecture Awards organized by the AIA. Meanwhile, 2020 saw Johnston Marklee scoop several accolades at the 2020 AIA|LA Design Awards. The firm’s Vault House was awarded a Citation Award in the ‘Best of the Millenium’ category, while their UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Arts Studios gained an Honor Award in the Educational category. Finally, their Menil Drawing Institute was awarded the Honor Award in the Institutional/Civic category.

2019–2018: Personal honors

While the period 2020 to 2022 saw the firm gain heavy recognition for its work through design awards, between 2018 and 2019, principals Johnston and Lee gained several personal honors and appointments. In September 2019, we reported on Sharon Johnston’s inclusion among five American architects honored at the Women in Architecture Awards by Architectural Record. In March 2018, meanwhile, Mark Lee was appointed as Chair of the Department of Architecture at the Harvard GSD.

Johnston and Lee’s acclaimed approach to their practice’s work was the subject of a 2018 episode of the Archinect Sessions podcast, where Archinect founder Paul Petrunia interviewed the duo live at the LA Design Festival. Beyond the spotlight placed on its founders, the firm continued to grow its architectural portfolio, competing for the design of the UIC’s new Center for the Arts in 2019 while unveiling its completed Menil Drawing Institute one year previous.

2017–2014: The Chicago Architecture Biennial and beyond

The period from 2016 to 2017 saw Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee feature heavily in our editorial, driven by their high-profile roles at the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial. The duo were announced as artistic directors for the event in September 2016. In April 2017, Archinect interviewed Johnston and Lee on their vision for the biennial, in which they expressed a mission to “tackle the tyranny of newness.” The duo’s interpretation of ‘newness’ and of their Biennial theme ‘Make New History’ was also the subject of a September 2017 interview with Christopher Hawthorne, weeks after Johnston and Lee featured in a video preview of the event.

Away from the Biennial, 2017 saw the firm’s Helios House listed as one of the world’s best gas stations. Meanwhile, in 2016, Johnston and Lee hosted a talk at the Royal Academy about their work, while 2014 saw the firm’s Vault House awarded a citation at the 2014 AIA|LA awards.

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.