Johnpaul Jones facts for kids

Johnpaul Jones (born July 24, 1941) is a famous American architect and landscape architect. He is a partner at the firm Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects in Seattle. Johnpaul Jones is well-known for his special way of designing zoo exhibits. He uses a method called "habitat immersion." This makes animal habitats look and feel like their natural homes.

He is also a Native American person. He has worked on many projects for Native American groups. He was the main design expert for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. This museum opened in 2004 in Washington, D.C.. Johnpaul Jones was the first architect to ever get the National Humanities Medal. This award honors people who have done great things in the humanities.

Early Life and Education

Johnpaul Jones was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. His father was Welsh-American, and his mother, Dolores, was Choctaw and Cherokee. His grandparents on his mother's side were also Choctaw and Cherokee. His parents did not have much schooling.

When he was about nine years old, his parents' marriage ended. He and his mother moved to Manteca, California. This was part of a program to help Native Americans relocate. In Oklahoma, his grandmother Pearl taught him about Native American traditions. In California, he lived in a mostly Hispanic area. He sometimes worked on farms, just like his mother.

Johnpaul Jones did not do well in school, except for art and physical education. But he still graduated from high school in 1959. He then went to San Jose City College. He got a job as an office helper at an architecture firm called Higgins & Root. His drawing skills helped him a lot. His boss, Chester Root, helped him get into the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

At the University of Oregon, he became a serious student. He became very interested in Native American architecture. This was a topic that was not taught much at the time. He kept working at Higgins & Root during his summer breaks.

Starting His Architecture Career

After graduating in 1967, Johnpaul Jones moved to Seattle. He worked for a short time at two different firms. Then, he started his own architecture business on Bainbridge Island. He became more involved in Native American issues. He joined the Urban Indian Committee. There, he met Native activist Bernie Whitebear.

In the early 1970s, he met Grant Richard Jones, a landscape architect. Grant Jones was studying ancient Native American burial mounds. In 1973, Johnpaul Jones joined Grant Jones and his wife, Ilze Jones, at their firm, Jones & Jones. Their office was in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood.

Designing for Animals and People

At Jones & Jones, Johnpaul Jones has led many exciting projects.

Zoo Habitats: Immersion Design

Even though his colleague Grant Jones started the "immersion exhibit" work, Johnpaul Jones has led many zoo projects since then. The immersion method makes zoo exhibits feel like the animals' real homes. This helps visitors feel like they are in the wild.

Some of his zoo projects include:

• Tiger River Trail at the San Diego Zoo
• Asian elephant house at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle
• Polar bear habitat at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington
• Master plan for the Honolulu Zoo
• Plans and exhibits for the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum
• African Savannah master plan and exhibits at the Perth Zoo in Australia
• Jake L. Mamon Gorilla Conservation Research Center at the Dallas Zoo
• Master plan for the National Zoo of Belize

Heritage and Visitor Centers

Johnpaul Jones has also designed many heritage and visitor centers. These places help people learn about history and nature.

Some of these projects are:

• Gene Coulon Beach Park in Renton, Washington
• Buildings for Newcastle Beach Park in Bellevue, Washington
• Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan, Alaska
• Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat and Conference Center in Leavenworth, Washington
• Phase II of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial in Bainbridge, Washington

Native American Projects

Daybreak Star Cultural Center (completed 1977)

A very important part of his work focuses on his Native American heritage. He has designed many buildings and centers for Native American tribes and organizations.

Some of these projects include:

• Daybreak Star Cultural Center and its People's Lodge expansion in Discovery Park (Seattle)
• Longhouse Project at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington
• The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs, California
• The Aquinnah Cultural Center Master Plan for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
• The Colville Confederated Tribes Museum Master Plan in Colville, Washington
• The De'aht Tribal Elders Longhouse center for the Makah Indian Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington
• The Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Ignacio, Colorado
• The Spokane Tribal Cultural Center Master Plan for the Spokane Tribe in Wellpinit, Washington
• The Tiwyekinwes Cultural Center Master Plan for the Chief Joseph Band of the Nez Perce Indians in Nespelem, Washington
• Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Intellectual House at the University of Washington in Seattle
• Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians in Santa Ynez, California

He also designed the Vancouver Land Bridge in Vancouver, Washington. He worked on this project with artist Maya Lin. The bridge follows an old Native American path. It connects Fort Vancouver to the Columbia River waterfront. This was the first time in many years that people could walk easily between these two places.

Johnpaul Jones was the main design expert for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. He helped shape the museum's unique look. He says the museum "doesn't have a straight line in it." Its design is very natural and organic. It is based on ideas important to Native American communities. These ideas include the natural world, the animal world, the human world, and the spirit world. These ideas guided the design of the building and its surroundings.

Working for More Diversity

Since the 1980s, Johnpaul Jones has worked to bring more different people into architecture and design. He helped start the AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable. This group helps students learn about architecture. It also created scholarships at the University of Washington. He has also worked on similar programs at the University of Oregon. He is part of the American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers. He is also involved with the National Association of Indian Architects and Engineers.

Personal Life

Johnpaul Jones married Hannah Stratton in 1965. They met when they were both students at the University of Oregon. They had two children, Sequoiah and Ingrid. They divorced in 1990. Johnpaul Jones married Marjorie Sheldon on September 21, 1997.