Johnny"John"EugeneZemanek,FAIA,architect,plannerandprofessor,94,diedMonday,April18,ofkidneyfailurewhileundergoingevaluationforcancer.TheyoungestoftwelvechildrenofBohemianpoliticalrefugeesJan(John)andFrantiška(Frances)MachačekZemánekofMoravia,JohnwasborninGuy,TexasnearthebanksoftheBrazosRiver.InFortBendCounty,heattendedBigCreek,Guy,andDamonruralschools,beforeattending

TexasA&MUniversitygraduatingwithadegreeinarchitectureandasamemberoftheCorpofCadets.In1942,heenlistedintheArmyAirCorpReservesasanaviationcadetandwascalledtoactivedutyinJanuary1943.Uponcompletionoftrainingandpromotiontosecondlieutenant,heservedasabombardieronB-24LiberatorbombersflyingalliedmissionsoutofFoggia,insouthernItaly.DuringhislastmissiononthelastdayoftheEuropeanwar,hisplanewasdisabledbyanti-aircraftfireandforcedtomakeanemergencylandingatanunmarkedairfieldbehindenemylines.Allcrewmemberswererecovered.UponreturningtoTexasin1945,hecontinuedhiseducationatTheUniversityofTexasinAustinwherehereceivedtheBachelorofArchitectureandMasterofArchitecturedegreesbeforemovingtoCambridge,MassachusettstoearntheMasterofCityPlanningdegreefromtheHarvardUniversityGraduateSchoolofDesign,underthechairmanshipofWalterGropius.AfterHarvard,JohnreturnedtoHoustontopracticewithKennethFranzheimthenrelocatedtoJapantoworkforCzechAmericanmodernistarchitectAntoninRaymondinTokyo,whereheplanned17airbasesintheFarEast.HepracticedalsofortheU.S.DepartmentofStateinEastPakistan(nowBangladesh)planningvillagehousingandinstitutesfortheindigenouscommunities.UponreturningonceagaintoHouston,beforeestablishinghissolopracticeheworkedwithmanyofHouston’seminentfirms,includingWilson,Morris,andCrainwherehecontributedtothedevelopmentoftheHarrisCountyDomedStadium,nowknownastheAstrodome.InvitedtoteachattheUniversityofHoustonCollegeofArchitecturefirstasavisitor,thenfulltimein1964,heearnedtenurein1969.HisindependentarchitecturereflectedaprofoundinfluenceofhisTexasruralheritageanditslandscapeaswellashisrespectforanddeepknowledgeofthediverseAsianculturesthatengagedhimsofullythroughouthislife.Hisworkhasbeenpublishedinlocal,nationalandinternationalmagazines,journalsandtelevisionmediaandhehaswondesignawardsatthelocal,state,andnationallevel.In1978heearnedthecovetednationalAIAHonorAward,forhisThreeHServicesCenter,asocialservicescomplexfortheBordersvillecommunitythathadbeenestablishedbyformerslaves.Heis

rememberedespeciallyforaseriesofthreeMontrosehouses,eachdesignedashispersonalresidence,datingfrom1969,2000and2011.HewouldlaterrefertotheseasGaia1,2and3toexpresshislife-longreverenceforandunderstandingofnature.Whileeachisanunassumingessayonmodestmaterialscarefullycombinedforgreatspatialeffect,acomparisonrevealstheevolutionofhisthinkingfromephemeraldelicacytowarddistinctrootedness.Oftenonetoincitepassions,earlyinhisteachingcareerattheUniversityofHoustonJohnwasthefocusofaschool-widestudentledprotestagainsthispendingdismissal,whichearnednationalattentionandultimatelyledtothedean’sresignation.Overthe48yearsthathecontinuouslytaughtattheUniversityofHoustonheneverfailedtochallengestudentstothinkcriticallyandtoengagetheminan“architecturethatbeginswithoursocialstructure.”Oneformerstudentwrotethat"IwasalwaysimpressedbywhatascholarJohnwas,hewassothoroughandpresent;thewayhepaintedlandscapesandwrotedownhisexperiencesduringthewarinletters,whichhewouldmailtohimselfasanaccuraterecordoftheexperience.Hewasaparticipantandareporter."HislatestcreativeeffortsincludehismemoirBeing••Becoming(2016)publishedjustbeforehisdeath,andadesignconsultationforMorningstarCoffee,openinginHoustonnextmonth.Johnisprecededindeathbyhisparents,5brothersand6sisters.Heissurvivedbyhissister-in-law,MarySueZemanek,aswellasnumerousniecesandnephewsandextendedfamilyandalsosurvivedbyamultitudeoffriendsanddevotedcaregivers.Detailsoffuturememorialeventswillbeforthcoming.DonationsmaybemadeinhishonortotheUniversityofHoustonLibrariesSpecialCollectionswherehispersonal,academic,andprofessionalpapersandarchitecturaldrawingswillbeheld.