Affiliated with a number of institutions including Princeton, Cooper Union, Yale, and Brown, England-born Vidler was a towering figure in the world of architectural academia and thought.
Baird, a frequent RECORD contributor and recipient of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Gold Medal, served as dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto from 2004–2009.
The Seattle-born architect established the Los Angeles office of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates in 1986 before branching off in 2004 to start Pfeiffer Partners, with major projects including a renovation of L.A.'s landmark Griffith Observatory.
The philanthropist and activist served as Commissioner of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and as head of the New York State Council on the Arts.
“He sought to make a difference in the world, in small gestures as well as grand ambitions, and he succeeded brilliantly,” writes Gwendolyn Wright of the late architect, author, and academic.
A student of Louis Kahn, the New Jersey-born architect garnered professional notoriety—and won a 1971 Record House Award—upon completing his own home in the suburbs of New York City.
“My practice is devoted to the design of houses, not shelters or ‘machines for living,’” wrote the late architect who designed residences for high-profile clients including Calvin Klein, Mickey Drexler, and Bill and Melinda Gates.