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 over a decade 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 Skateistan in Afghanistan and South Africa.
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.
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!
