Chris Ray
Meet Our Founder
Chris Ray is a designer offering a unique blend of expertise at the intersection of landscape architecture, community engagement and recreation planning. He has fifteen years of experience in skatepark development across diverse environments ranging from North America to Afghanistan and South Africa.
He has worked on some of the world’s premier skatepark projects including the Seattle Center Skate Plaza in Washington and the Roc City Skatepark in New York. His work includes management of numerous complex design-build projects, as well as construction project management for the award-winning non-profit Skateistan in Afghanistan, South Africa, and Cambodia.
His work has been recognized by various organizations and institutions, including the CSLA’s 2023 Excellence in Planning and Analysis for the Vancouver CitySkate project and the RFABC’s 2024 Outstanding Facility Award for the Thrifty Foods Westshore Skatepark.
Outside of his design work, Chris has been a devoted volunteer. As a member of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition, he successfully advocated for the unanimous approval of the CitySkate Strategy by the Vancouver Park Board, and through his leadership on the Ottawa Skateboard Association he has guided the development of Ottawa’s new Skateboard and Roller Sports Strategy. In addition to his work with Skateistan, Chris has helped guide the development of skateparks for youth development in the Philippines, Angola, and Jamaica. Chris received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2012 and is an active member of the ASLA.
Learn more at chrisraydesign.com
Past Experience
Portfolio of Work
Chris’s past work experience, partnerships and volunteer work has given him the opportunity to design rolling landscapes around the world—from Canada to the United States and internationally.
Questions, Answered
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Yes! We would love to be your skatepark designer of choice, ideally working with local landscape architecture, engineering, and construction firms in your community. Rollerscape also partners with top skatepark firms on projects that require additional support and a specialized team.
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Regardless of the size and scope of your project, having Rollerscape’s independent perspective is invaluable. From helping you get the materials right on a small skate spot to overseeing a city-wide planning process and more, we can provide whatever level of service you need. We are always happy to talk - schedule a call any time for a free initial planning and consultation chat.
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The bulk of the profit in the skatepark industry is in construction, and we do not build skateparks. But we know construction intimately, and can help with everything from bid review to site inspections and project reports. By removing that profit motive and setting aside our desire to just build what we want to skate, we provide a more impartial planning and design service that is focused entirely on maximizing community benefit for every dollar invested.
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We would love to! With our firsthand experience on both sides of the process, both as citizen advocates and as professional designers, we can provide lots of support and guidance for your initiative. Advice is always free, resources abound, and we are here to help.
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There is an increasing body of evidence and academic study of the benefits of skateparks, especially in educational spaces and youth organizations. We have firsthand experience building schools with skateparks and supporting educational non-profits and would love to volunteer our support.
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Rollerscape is a new practice run by veteran skatepark designer Chris Ray, with a lot of support from his brilliant partner Ash, a communications and public engagement professional with experience at the non-profit, municipal, and federal level. While our team is currently small, we have professional partners in our network ready to join future projects as needed, including other experienced skatepark designers, urban planners, educators and builders all on board with the Rollerscape approach to development.
A Skate Urbanism Approach to Design
Our work is informed by the latest practices in skate urbanism, the growing movement in public space planning and design that actively integrates skateboarding and other roller sports into the public realm rather than excluding them.
From encouraging movement and supporting social cohesion to rejuvenating neglected urban spaces, the benefits of skate urbanism are well-documented and wide-ranging, but integrating rideable infrastructure can prove challenging for those unfamiliar with these activities. This is where we come in!
