John Fidler

John grew up in the former cotton town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, at a time when post-war rationing was still in force. His parents' purchase of a set of encyclopedias put him on the path to architecture: allowing him to build the knowledge to get into grammar school where he was taught by an arts master, who was a fine watercolourist and taught History of Architecture.

Studying in Sheffield

By the time John arrived at Sheffield he was already interested in building conservation: at a time when the dominant trend in architecture was Brutalism But John incorporated building re-use and rehabilitation into his studio projects wherever he could. He bonded with the School's older staff who taught architectural history and in their private practices repaired churches. He remembers young architect/tutor Peter G Faucet particularly fondly: his design studio focused attention on the then derelict Sheffield Canal, and the class worked on rehabilitation schemes for the canal paths, basins and surrounding buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. While studying in Sheffield John also sneaked off to attend mid-career short courses with the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies in York, where he learned more about technical aspects of building conservation. 

On his first year he worked as a RIBA Part 1 Assistant to the then Corinne Wilson ARIBA, the first woman Surveyor of the Fabric of an English cathedral. Her team worked almost exclusively on churches, and alongside one of the world's leading authorities on eighteenth and nineteenth century decorative house paints. This led John to join the the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) and the Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings (ASCHB).

Diploma and Masters

John then returned to Sheffield for a diploma course and academic masters degree. His MA thesis covered the changing roles of cathedrals in the twentieth century and was picked up in ecclesiastical circles. 

John then went back to Stockport, and worked as an architectural assistant while also studying for another masters degree in conservation in the School of Architecture at the University of Manchester. John was head-hunted to work for the Surveyor of Historic Buildings in the Greater London Council (GLC), then one of the largest and best-resourced heritage bodies in the country. This meant John was working with some of London's most notable architects reviewing their planning proposals, carrying out research with the Council's scientific branch, and working on loan and grant schemes to help owners with building restoration. And happily for John, this meant also working with some of the best conservation architects, surveyors, historians and archaeologists in his field. At this time John also returned to Sheffield to complete his RIBA Part 3 Professional Practice qualification to register as a chartered architect. 

Continuing experience

From the Greater London Council, John moved to the City of London Corporation as its first Historic Buildings Architect, becoming responsible for some of the country's most impressive historic assets such as the Roman city walls, the ruined Temple of Mithras and the medieval Guildhall. One of his key projects was working on a Grade I listed Mansion House (1753), a great test of his skill in remote sensing and non-destructive diagnostics. 

John moved on to work as the country's first Conservation Officer for Buildings-at-Risk with the creation of English Heritage. He worked there for twenty years, serving a number of subsequent roles, including as the youngest Superintending Architect in the UK civil service. He continued having responsibility for some of the country's most interesting historic buildings, this time being in charge of the maintenance and repair of the organisation's 420 properties, from ruined abbeys and castle to Hadrian's Wall and Stonehenge. 

At this time, John was also invited back to the Arts Tower to act as a visiting critic and lecturer. 

To the States

While at English Heritage John met his soon-to-be wife, Jeanne Marie Teutonico. When she became a director of the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, he moved to work with a US-based firm of forensic engineers, running their preservation technology services, which took him to historic buildings across the USA. It also gave him opportunities to work further afield, including assessing the condition of the third century Classical archaeological remains of Palmyra World Heritage Site in Syria, and of eighth-century brick shrines at Phnom Bakheng temple, Angkor Watt World Heritage Site in Cambodia. 

In 2012, John set up his own consultancy firm, working internationally. His focus is helping building owners to maintain, adapt and sustain their historic properties. He has worked on various projects, such as advising on the clearing and repair of masonry at the 1690’s Baroque Gateways to Dublin Castle. He also worked with a team of naval architects, marine engineers and divers to carry out a major condition assessment of the iconic 1934 Art Deco transatlantic ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary, now moored in Long Beach California.

His most recent work has been part of the opening in September 2021 of the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The overall scheme was designed by Renzo Piano and comprises the reuse of a former 1939 department store for the main facilities to which a 1,000-seat movie theatre has been attached by way of glass bridges and a floating, precast concrete globe. John's role was to retain, stabilize, clean, conserve and restore the Streamline Moderne stone and gold-glass mosaic facades of the former May Company store. 

And now

Right now, and still from California, John volunteers his services on the other side of the planet with Stockport Heritage Trust, fighting for the preservation of listed buildings in his home town. He's also re-writing a famous the text book: "The Conservation of Historic Buildings", originally authored by the late Sir Bernard Feilden, who saved York Minster from collapse.