John Hicks is a Canadian citizen, Professor of Urban & Regional planning, and also a qualified professional landscape architect. Based in Ontario, Canada, he is the principal owner of John Hicks & Associates, Environmental Planners and Landscape Architects, Site Planning, Park Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment. He is also a long-time amateur astronomer and has had articles published in “Astronomy,” chapters in Dickinson and Dyer’s “The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide,” and has made contributions to various other astronomy books. John is well-known as a designer of observatories and telescopes and has been an active solar observer for 30 years. Prior to writing the first edition of “Building a Roll-Off Observatory,” he created and sold observatory plans for both roll-off and domed observatory structures at major star parties and to various clients globally.