Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Donaldson, Francis
Parallel form(s) of name
- Frank Donaldson
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1921-2015
History
Francis Donaldson (Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC)) was born in West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland on July 12, 1921. He attended the Glasgow School of Architecture. Frank served with the Royal Engineers during the Second World War and later moved to London where he met and married Phyllis Clarke in 1947. He became an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1951 joining Grosvenor Estates London Office. In 1954, with Phyllis and daughter Linda, Frank immigrated to Vancouver to become Grosvenor's lead Architect and Planner for Annacis Island Industrial Park, recognized as a significant design of postwar projects in Canada. Frank designed and supervised construction of the Guildford Shopping Centre in Surrey and four other regional retail centres affiliated with Woodward's in Western Canada. In association with Arthur Erickson he designed the iconic McMillan Bloedel Building in Vancouver which was awarded the Massey Medal in 1970. Other notable projects included the Project 200 office tower and plaza at Granville Square on Vancouver's waterfront and the Canadian Pacific Telecommunications building. Frank and Phyllis moved to Hawaii in 1972, where he designed the Davies Pacific Centre and the Grosvenor Building in Honolulu, the Wailea Beach Hotel Resort in Maui and the Kona Resort in Hawaii. In 1974, he returned to Vancouver as Development Director for Mobil Land Development Corporation, before relocating to San Francisco in 1977 as Senior Vice President, Design and Engineering. In 1983 he was transferred to the New York head office as President, Eastern Division. During his career with Mobil Oil, Frank Donaldson was involved with notable development projects throughout the USA, including master planned communities at Redwood Shores and Bair Island, California; Reston New Town and Colonial Village, Virginia; and Sailfish Point, Florida. Frank retired to Vancouver in 1986 and served on the Board of Trustees for St. Paul's Hospital from 1987 to 1993. He enjoyed an active membership in the Vancouver Chapter of Lambda Alpha International and socially with the Capilano Golf and Country Club. In 1998 Frank was awarded as a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC). In 2003 Frank married Margaret Anderson and designed their residence in Qualicum Beach. He died September 20, 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia.