John is a licensed architect as well as a scenery and costume designer. His work includes auditorium concept design, planning and programming theatre buildings, site assessment, and feasibility studies.

Since 1994 John has been designing stage sets for a number of theatre and opera companies including New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, and San Diego Opera. Prior to his career as a theatre designer, John worked as a design architect for Gary Lee & Partners Architects & Interior Designers, Holabird & Root, and for James, Morris & Kutyla in Chicago.

John received his Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and his Master of Fine Arts (Design) from the Yale School of Drama. John is a lecturer in set design at the Yale School of Drama and has also been a guest lecturer at Harvard University, Purchase College, University of Illinois, and The Chicago Art Institute. Fellowships and awards include the Donald M. Oenslager Scholarship (Yale), John Dinkeloo Prize (American Academy in Rome), Peggy Guggenheim Fellowship (Venice), and the Arthur M. Gensler Scholarship (Cornell). Recently, John was one of four designers commissioned by the National Building Museum to present their re-imagined concept of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.