Noel Best was born in Toronto and grew up in the Beaches area. He moved to Vancouver in 1967 to pursue his Bachelor of Architecture degree, which he received from the University of BC in 1970. He worked for 12 years with Arthur Erickson and then as a principle with the firm Architectura. Best has worked on a wide variety of projects but specializes in airport design, educational and cultural facilities. He designed the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver and the Koerner Library at UBC and airports in Bermuda, Santiago, and London. He has also worked as an artist and collaborated on numerous interdisciplinary projects.