In Memoriam: Jack T Sidener, FAIA (1937-2020)
Dear AIA Members & Friends,
It is with profound sadness that AIA Hong Kong Chapter has learned that John T (Jack) Sidener, PhD FAIA, passed away in Washington State on February 14, 2020, at the age of 83.
Dr Jack Sidener served as Chapter President in 2000 and received the inaugural AIA Hong Kong Community Citation for co-founding the Designing Hong Kong public participatory design charrette in 1998.
Professionally, in addition to his private practice, Jack was Chief Architect for Bechtel for the KCRC development as well as Campus Architect/Planner at both the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and University of Hawaii. Academically, he was Professor of Architecture at both CUHK (1997-2000) and U Hawaii (2001-08).
Jack received two degrees at University of California at Berkeley (BArch and PhD in Environmental Planning) as well as two degrees at University of Pennsylvania (MArch and MCP), where he studied with Louis Kahn.
At CUHK, Professors Jack Sidener and Nelson Chen co-taught design studios together in the late 1990s. Nelson remembers Jack as being “a Renaissance Man for the 20th century. For his students, Jack was appreciated for teaching and inspiring them with encouraging words and exquisite hand drawings, while furthering the legacy of his own mentors at Penn including Louis Kahn, Ed Bacon and Denise Scott Brown.”
During retirement in Kirkland, WA, with his wife, Katherine, and their family, Jack was actively engaged in writing, painting and photography.
Jack Sidener will be remembered for generously sharing his experience and wisdom in all aspects of his professional and academic life, including his early contributions to AIA Hong Kong. He will be greatly missed.
