Ben Checkwitch

Principal, Architect AIBC, CPHD

Ben Checkwitch is the co-founder and design lead of Checkwitch Poiron Architects, an award-winning British Columbia practice recognized for delivering highly resolved architecture across transportation, civic, cultural, residential, educational, and mixed-use sectors. With more than 27 years of professional experience spanning New York, Oslo, Vancouver, and Vancouver Island, Ben brings an uncommon combination of international design pedigree, technical depth, and hands-on construction knowledge.

Ben began his career working on construction sites before studying architecture at the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University. Early in his career he apprenticed with Narud Stokke Wiig in Oslo before moving to New York, where he worked with internationally renowned firms Rafael Viñoly Architects and Gluckman Mayner Architects. During this period he contributed to major institutional and cultural projects including the Bronx County Hall of Justice, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and a private gallery and studio for artist Richard Serra.

In 2002, Ben founded Ben Checkwitch Design in Manhattan, earning recognition from I.D. Magazine’s Annual Design Review and the Architectural League of New York’s Young Architects Forum, where he lectured and exhibited. During this time he designed high-end residential and commercial work in Manhattan including private homes, a jewelry store and a contemporary art gallery.

Since co-founding CPA in 2012, Ben has led the design of numerous award-winning projects throughout British Columbia, including the Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal, BC Ferry terminal masterplans, Discover Montessori School, Indigenous cultural and community projects, airport expansions, and innovative modular and prefabricated housing systems. His work is known for combining rigorous technical execution with strong conceptual clarity, contextual sensitivity, and a deep understanding of how buildings are actually assembled.

Clients rely on Ben for his ability to guide complex projects through competing stakeholder interests, regulatory approvals, technical challenges, and demanding schedules while maintaining a clear architectural vision throughout the process. His expertise spans public engagement, transportation architecture, prefabrication and modular systems, glass facade detailing, coastal architecture, Passive House design, and the integration of low-carbon construction strategies into practical, buildable solutions.

Outside the office, Ben has spent decades personally constructing an off-grid cabin on a remote Gulf Island — an experience that profoundly shaped his approach to architecture, materiality, and construction. This hands-on understanding of building continues to inform his work and reinforces CPA’s reputation for architecture that is both ambitious in design and disciplined in execution.

Selected Projects

Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal Building

Nanaimo Airport Terminal Expansion

Discover Montessori School

BC Ferry Terminal Masterplans

Ladysmith Arts & Heritage Hub

Commercial Street Modular Housing

Cabin on Secret Island

Professional Recognition

• Architectural League of New York — Young Architects Forum Winner & Exhibitor
• Lecturer and Exhibitor — Architectural League of New York
• I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review — Recognition for Ben Checkwitch Design
• Past Chair — City of North Vancouver Advisory Design Panel
• Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD)

Awards

• Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award — Nanaimo Airport Terminal Expansion (2021)
• North American Wood Design Award — Citation — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• Canadian Wood WORKS! Award — Best Commercial Wood Design — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• WAN (World Architecture News) Awards — Transport Long List — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• Glass Magazine — Most Innovative Curtain Wall — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• Shaw Contract Design Is… Award — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• City of Nanaimo Award for Design Excellence — Edgewater Apartments
• BC Embodied Carbon Award — Discover Montessori School
• VIREB Judge’s Choice Award — St. Paul’s Centre for Ministry + Community Service
• VIREB Award of Excellence — Institutional Renovation — St. Paul’s Centre

Publications

• Canadian Architect — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• Award Magazine — Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal
• North American Wood Design Award Winners Publication
• Shaw Contract Group Design Is 2012 Publication
• Svenskt Trä! (Swedish Wood Magazine)
• YAM Magazine — Double High House (cover feature)
• Boulevard Magazine — Harbour Road Sail Loft + Residences
• Young Architects 5: Inhabiting Identity — Cabin on Secret Island
• The Globe and Mail — “Mercurial Designs for a Material World”