John Habraken (1928–2023)
The international architectural community has lost a great mind. John Habraken died peacefully on October 21, 2023, at the age of 95 years, in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Few architect/scholars have so consistently and patiently pursued such a humane and professionally vital viewpoint relating to the stewardship of the built environment as John Habraken has. John Habraken’s theoretical perspective is leading to a better understanding of how the built environment works and regenerates and offers an inspiring vision for the future.
His pioneering work is enabling professionals to develop new modes of professional practice to overcome the current incoherence and disfunction in the field’s production and management. The growing worldwide emphasis on built environment sustainability and resiliency make his insights and proposals more important than ever. From the publication of his first book in 1960 and throughout his long career, Habraken has quietly helped redraw the map of architectural research, education, practice, design methods and theory. His record of accomplishments, and their seminal value, is remarkable and without match and is being recognized by an expanding worldwide network.
—Stephen Kendall, October 2023
Remembering John Habraken
Stephen Kendall PhD, MIT ’90 (Professor of Architecture at Ball State University and Co-Founder of Council on Open Building):
I first met John at a Design Methods conference in London in 1973. His insights–and his personal kindness—set me on a path that continues still. John made it possible for me to come to MIT to work on a PhD with him in 1985, and to be his teaching assistant. At each dissertation meeting he’d make tea for us. He was almost ruthless in his demand for intellectual clarity. My entire academic career—teaching, research, consulting—was grounded in his insights and questions. We collaborated on a number of endeavors over the years and kept in close contact. Our work together culminated in our agreement to write a book together: Open Building for Architects, which, sadly, was released shortly after he passed away. He was a best friend and my most esteemed mentor.
Ann Beha (Retired Architect and John’s one-time assistant when he was architecture department head at MIT):
Stephen, thank you so much. It’s amazing, I was just thinking of John today, and always will cherish the gifts he gave me. Please keep me posted on any memorials or gatherings, it would be great to recall John among his many admirers.
Jan Wampler, FAIA (John’s colleague at MIT):
I too was thinking of John, he has left a strong memory of his time at MIT. I think of him often. I saw him last when I stayed with him and Marleen several years ago and have had conversations with him on the phone since. He gave MIT a great gift when he came and provided a strong clear direction for the program. He will be missed by many.
Peace.
Paul Lukez (Boston-based architect and John’s former student at MIT):
Stephen, thank you so much. It’s amazing, I was just thinking of John today, and always will cherish the gifts he gave me. Please keep me posted on any memorials or gatherings, it would be great to recall John among his many admirers.
Kazunobu Minami (Professor at Shibuara Institute of Technology, Tokyo, and John’s former student at MIT):
Thank you so much for letting us know this sad news. I and my wife would like to express our sincere condolences on the passing of Professor John Habraken. I was fortunate to have Prof. Habraken as an academic advisor when I studied abroad at MIT in 1984. It was an irreplaceable treasure in my life to be able to have the opportunity to interact with him from time to time after graduation.
Mark Gross (John’s former student, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Colorado, and Director of the ATLAS Institute):
I join the chorus. I'm so happy I knew John and the richer for it. And, literally, I was thinking of him as I went to work this past week. I worked with John for nearly ten years, one of the most formative intellectual relationships I've had. And he really did make a significant dent in the world.
Nabeel Hamdi (Professor at Oxford Polytechnic University and John’s colleague at MIT):
I share the same sentiments as all of you. He was my inspiration throughout my career, he made an amazing contribution to the field of housing and urban design. His impact will last forever.
Amira Osman (Professor at Tshwane University of Architecture and former president of the South Africa Institute of Architects):
I receive this sad news while in Singapore en route to Surabaya. Indeed, it has been a privilege. Those that know me know how much his work and thinking inspires everything that I do architecturally and academically…it is sad, but I am honored to have known him. And honored to also have been taken on many journeys of exploration into Open Building by my mentor and friend Stephen Kendall – my condolences to Prof Kendall and Habraken’s family and friends and everyone that he influenced intellectually. We are privileged to have learned from him. Despite the star architects and what architecture continues to value and celebrate, John Habraken is my architectural hero. His work is the lens through which I view the world.
May He Rest in Peace
Vishwanath Kashikar (Professor at Ahmedabad School of Architecture, India):
Just last week we were hosting the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft in Ahmedabad for our housing program, and we got into a long discussion of flexible/incremental housing in the Indian context. Needless to say, Habraken's theories came up multiple times in the conversation. It is heartening to see that he has sowed seeds of his thought in so many diverse contexts and in each, his legacy carries forward albeit in a locally modified context. I can't help but wonder whether the original theory is the support and its manifestation in different contexts are infills.
Denise Morado (Professor at Escola de Arquitetura UFMG, Brazil and a leading voice in Open Architecture the Global South):
I cannot find words to express my feelings. Very sad! I am so grateful I met John and all the opportunities we had Heinekens together. I will never forget what he told me about what he understood about architecture. The best [real] architect I ever met.
Jia Beisi (Partner in BE-Architecten in Hong Kong and former Professor at University of Hong Kong):
It is very sad to receive this message. My career life is built upon his guidance and thoughts. I share my deep sorrow, sentiment and condolence with you and all members of Open Building in China.
Mitsuo Takada (Professor at Kyoto Arts and Crafts University and an active participant on the NEXT21 design team):
Thank you for informing us of Professor Habraken’s passing. I'm very sad and disappointed. Professor Habraken has always encouraged me from the time I was an assistant at Kyoto University until now. I am deeply grateful to him. I would like to offer my sincere prayers for the repose of Professor Habraken’s soul.
Nadya Koreneva (Moscow-based partner in an architecture and urban design practice):
This is very sad news. My condolences to everyone who knew Professor Habraken.
John Habraken made extraordinary contributions to the development of residential architecture and urban design. His life continues in each of us who were inspired by him.
Esko Kahri (Leading Finnish architect and a long-time advocate of Open Building in Finland):
We are very sad to hear John has passed away. He visited several times in our country. We founded over ten years ago our architecture office to carry on his great visions. We are happy, this has succeeded in many projects. John has been the great figurehead for housing in Finland.
Frank Bijdendijk (Founder and President of the National Renovation Platform and a pioneer in Amsterdam’s SOLIDS Open Building projects):
Thank you very much for sending us this sad information about our dear friend John. I offer you my sincere condolences with the loss of this great man with whom you have worked so much.
Josep Maria Montaner (Professor at the Barcelona School of Architecture):
Thank you very much, Stephen, for this message with this very sad news about our admired friend and colleague John Habraken. My condolences to all and, specially, to Prof Stephen Kendall. The lectures and workshops by John and Andrés Minucci fifteen years ago are still in the memory between old students and professors in our Barcelona School of Architecture.
Tedd Benson (Pioneer in the US homebuilding industry):
The passing of John Habraken is very sad, but to me it is also a momentous and motivating milestone. John's influence is deeply embedded in all of our company design-build principles and methods; a positive--even a defining--kind of entanglement. I was fortunate to meet John in the early 1990s, at a critical inflection period for our company. The effect of his friendship, teaching, advising and thoughtful mentorship became critical directional guidance, made more powerful and meaningful because John didn't ever give easy answers about what to do. Instead, he gave us a way to think about what to do, and so as we've evolved and grown, the Habraken impact is ever more important all these years later. In that way, John’s north-star kind of influence is still alive with us, just as it was over 30 years ago. As acknowledged by many of you, he was an industry thought titan throughout the world. In our little corner, with fond remembrance and deep gratitude, we will do our best to ensure that he remains one always.
Ming Hung Wang (Professor of Architecture at the National Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan and John’s former student at MIT):
I always got John’s response every year when I sent him annual greetings, but not this year. I knew that he is in a new situation which needs no usual communications. I think of him almost every day since.
John Dale, FAIA, LEED AP (Principal at Synchronis Architects, Co-Founder of the Council on Open Building, and John’s former student)
This weekend, I was saddened to learn that my mentor and MIT thesis advisor, John Habraken, had died peacefully just a week before his 95th birthday. Throughout his life, he invented, investigated, challenged and inspired -seeking to give design professionals, agencies, developers and user groups a path to creating long lasting, adaptable buildings. His theories and methods were realized in thoughtful, visionary projects all over the world. I feel privileged to have been his student and collaborator and so glad to have been able to visit him with colleague Stephen Kendall in his home in Apeldoorn five years ago. He will be missed!!