Brian Farling
AIA | CO-OWNER, PRINCIPAL

Brian Farling is a Principal and co-owner of Jones Studio, where he has helped shape the firm’s environmentally responsive design ethos since joining in 1998. A graduate of the University of Arizona and a native of Pennsylvania, Brian brings more than two decades of experience leading award-winning civic, institutional, and public infrastructure projects across the Southwest and beyond.

From landmark federal land ports of entry to visionary environmental education centers, Brian’s work is rooted in place-based pragmatism and creative problem-solving. He is particularly passionate about water stewardship in arid environments—a focus shaped in part by his service during Desert Storm, where time in the harsh deserts of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait deepened his understanding of light, landscape, and survival. That formative experience continues to inform his architecture today.

Brian regularly lectures on border design, water-conscious architecture, and the studio’s work across the nation—from university classrooms to professional conferences. He teaches design studios at the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA), and has served as a design juror at multiple design schools throughout the region.

A committed community leader, Brian has served on the boards of Arizona Forward, Friends of the Tempe Center for the Arts, and the Scottsdale Aquatic Club. He also chaired the 2022 AIA Arizona Design Awards and recently led the development of Jones Studio’s second monograph, STRIVE: Jones Studio Adventures in Architecture.

“Brian Farling exemplifies the values of firmness, commodity, and delight—not only in the architecture he creates, but in the way he carries himself through the profession. His work shapes the world; his presence shapes people. He brings integrity, joy, and inspiration to everything he touches.”

— Diane Jacobs, AIA Arizona College of Fellows Chair, 2024 Chairman’s Award Presentation