Witold Rybczynski
Encyclopedia
Witold Rybczynski is a Canadian-American
architect
, professor
and writer
.
Rybczynski was born in Edinburgh of Polish
parentage and raised in Surrey
, England
before moving at a young age to Canada
. He attended Loyola High School (Montreal)
, located on Sherbrooke street, in Montreal-Ouest. He received Bachelor of Architecture
(1966) and Master of Architecture
(1972) degrees from McGill University
in Montreal
.
Rybczynski has written more than 300 articles and papers on the subject of housing
, architecture
, and technology
, many of which are aimed at a non-technical readership and have earned considerable readership and respect, in a wide variety of magazines, including The Wilson Quarterly
. Currently, he writes many of these articles as architecture critic for Slate
.
After twenty years spent teaching at McGill University, he now lives in Philadelphia and is the Martin and Margy Meyerson Professor of Urbanism
at the University of Pennsylvania
, where he is also founding co-editor of the Wharton Real Estate Review. He currently serves on the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts.
for non-fiction.
His book A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and North America in the Nineteenth Century
won the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
and was short-listed for the Charles Taylor Prize
in 2000.
In 2007 he was the recipient of the Seaside Prize and the Vincent Scully Prize
, awarded by the National Building Museum
. Rybczynski is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council
.
He is an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He has received the AIA Collaborative Honors, and the Pennsylvania AIA President's Award.
He holds honorary doctorates from McGill University and the University of Western Ontario.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
architect
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Rybczynski was born in Edinburgh of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
parentage and raised in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
before moving at a young age to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He attended Loyola High School (Montreal)
Loyola High School (Montreal)
Loyola High School is a private Catholic school for boys in grades 7–11 located in Montreal . The School was established in 1896 by the Society of Jesus as part of Loyola College, at the request of the English Catholic community in Montreal. It is named after St...
, located on Sherbrooke street, in Montreal-Ouest. He received Bachelor of Architecture
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture is an undergraduate academic degree designed to satisfy the academic component of professional accreditation bodies, to be followed by a period of practical training prior to professional examination and registration. It is awarded for a course of study that lasts up...
(1966) and Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture
The Master of Architecture is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation that result in receiving a license.-Overview:...
(1972) degrees from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Rybczynski has written more than 300 articles and papers on the subject of housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, many of which are aimed at a non-technical readership and have earned considerable readership and respect, in a wide variety of magazines, including The Wilson Quarterly
Wilson Quarterly
The Wilson Quarterly is a magazine published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The magazine was founded in 1976 by Peter Braestrup and James H. Billington. The Quarterly is noted for its nonpartisan, nonideological approach to current issues, with articles...
. Currently, he writes many of these articles as architecture critic for Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
.
After twenty years spent teaching at McGill University, he now lives in Philadelphia and is the Martin and Margy Meyerson Professor of Urbanism
Urbanism
Broadly, urbanism is a focus on cities and urban areas, their geography, economies, politics, social characteristics, as well as the effects on, and caused by, the built environment.-Philosophy:...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, where he is also founding co-editor of the Wharton Real Estate Review. He currently serves on the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts.
Awards and recognition
His book Home: A Short History of an Idea was nominated for the 1986 Governor General's Award1986 Governor General's Awards
Each winner of the 1986 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:*Alice Munro, The Progress of LoveOther Finalists:...
for non-fiction.
His book A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and North America in the Nineteenth Century
A Clearing in the Distance
A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and North America in the Nineteenth Century is a biography of 19th century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, published in 1999, by Canadian architect, professor and writer Witold Rybczynski....
won the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
The J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize is an annual award in the amount of $10,000 given to a book that exemplifies, "literary grace, a commitment to serious research and social concern.” The prize is given by the Nieman Foundation and by the Columbia University School of Journalism. The prize is named...
and was short-listed for the Charles Taylor Prize
Charles Taylor Prize
The Charles Taylor Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation to the best Canadian work of literary non-fiction. It is named for Charles Taylor, a noted Canadian historian and writer....
in 2000.
In 2007 he was the recipient of the Seaside Prize and the Vincent Scully Prize
Vincent Scully Prize
The Vincent Scully Prize was established in 1999 to recognize exemplary practice, scholarship or criticism in architecture, historic preservation and urban design...
, awarded by the National Building Museum
National Building Museum
The National Builders Museum, in Washington, D.C., United States, is a museum of "architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning"...
. Rybczynski is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council
Design Futures Council
The Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment...
.
He is an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He has received the AIA Collaborative Honors, and the Pennsylvania AIA President's Award.
He holds honorary doctorates from McGill University and the University of Western Ontario.