From Blueprints to Brushstrokes: The Creative Life of Geof Hacker

When you step into a conversation with Geof Hacker, you’re quickly transported through decades of creativity, from iconic architectural landmarks to delicate watercolour landscapes. A former architect and now a resident of The Waterford Seniors Community in South Delta, BC, Geof has lived a life where design, community, and artistry have always gone hand in hand.

Building Vancouver, One Landmark at a Time

Born in England, Geof arrived in Canada in 1953 with a brand new architect’s diploma and youthful curiosity. He made his way across the country to Vancouver, and that became his canvas. Over the years, Geof worked as the project architect on several significant projects around Metro Vancouver:

• CP Air’s Maintenance Hangar and Air Canada’s Line Maintenance Hangar at Vancouver International Airport
• Schools for the Langley School District, including DW Poppy, Brookswood, and Willoughby Secondary Schools.
• Local civic projects in Delta including arena facilities and the community’s police station.

By the time he retired in the mid-1990s, Geof had become a partner in a flourishing architectural firm of 30 people. “I’ve been quite happy with the stuff I’ve done,” he says with a smile.

Discovering a New Canvas

Retirement didn’t slow Geof’s creative drive—it simply redirected it. Always interested in drawing, he began exploring painting more deeply, especially pen-and-ink sketches with watercolour washes. Landscapes, often with architectural context, became his favourite subjects.

“I can’t do a watercolour without a guiding line,” Geof laughs. “I screw it up every time. Pen and ink keeps me anchored.”

Champion of the Arts in South Delta

Geof didn’t just take up painting—he helped transform the South Delta arts scene. After joining the South Delta Artists Guild, he soon became its president, advocating for more space as membership grew. His persistence, letters to local officials, and well-timed presentations helped the Guild secure a permanent home in a former library building beside the South Delta Recreation Centre.