A Quarterly Journal from McLennan Design. Rediscovering our relationship to the natural world. Volume 6 Issue 4 inside
The Art of Modeling
Meet Juan Rovalo
Inside the Studio
The Commute
eJag
FIRST LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE PUBLIC SCHOOL: CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR HENRICO COUNTY, VIRGINIA
* Note the opinions expressed below are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the firm as a whole.
Every four years in the United States during the fall, the world begins to tune into American politics, as the most powerful nation on the planet gears up to select its leader. In the last few cycles, this process has taken on a particularly ominous tone, given the inclination of many of those in power to openly discount the impacts of climate change. I remember being in Fort Lauderdale the night of the election in 2000, when – despite winning the popular vote – Al Gore lost to Bush. Many of us had high hopes that this would have been the president that would finally focus deeply on environmental issues and address climate change, when it still could have been addressed. Instead, we got Bush and Cheney, and after the tragedy of 911, it translated into wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan that would haunt the country for years.
When Obama won, many of us were thrilled – perhaps the start finally of a national healing on race and a charismatic leader who could take the nation in a more hopeful direction. However, after an early focus on national healthcare, control was lost in the House and it was clear that once again partisan politics would likely prevent meaningful change. On the environmental front, little progress was made during those 8 years and climate change marched on unabated.
Then in 2016 the unthinkable happened – oddly enough I was in Georgia the night of the election – when Hillary Clinton, who would have been the first female president, was defeated by Donald Trump. The Democrats again won the popular vote, but it didn’t matter due to the electoral college framework. The next four years were chaotic – with the nation reacting to Trump’s unpredictable whims and social movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter gaining steam. Then, the pandemic happened, and the nation and world were unprepared. Many of us felt relieved when Trump lost in 2020, thinking that the chaos and division would subside. As all this social upheaval transpired, the unaddressed consequences of climate change marched steadily on.
For the last four years under Biden, we have made only modest progress on climate change efforts, drastically disproportionate to the threats we face – although the Infrastructure Act was a notable exception. Unfortunately, there has also been a concerted focus on undermining the institutions of our democracy, sowing doubts about the media, the sanctity of our elections, and truth itself.
And now, here we are again – choosing in a few short days between going back or going forward. Choosing to support a platform built on divisiveness or one built on diversity and inclusion. Choosing between a government that will hopefully build on Biden’s infrastructure improvements to address climate change or one that takes us back even further. This could be the nation’s – and the world’s - most consequential election as a result.
In this issue there is an article on Henrico County Public Schools – the first Living Building Public School in the world, and an article on how we use physical models to improve design. We highlight the addition of my good friend, Juan Rovalo, to our team – Perkins&Will’s first firmwide Ecologist, and finally, a fun article on my electric conversion of a classic Jaguar.
Enjoy – and Please Vote!
Jason F. McLennan Founder, Living Building Challenge Principal, McLennan Design Chief Sustainability Officer, Perkins&Will
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARKETING MANAGER
GRAPHIC DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS
SOCIAL MEDIA
John Nelson, Phaedra Svec, Josh Fisher, Galen Carlson Fall 2024
Jason F. McLennan
Jay Torrell
Susan Roth
Fall 2024, Volume 6, Issue 4
LOVE + REGENERATION is a quarterly publication of McLennan Design, LLC.
© 2024 by McLennan Design | Perkins&Will
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Content may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission and is intended for informational purposes only.
Cover: McLennan Design Rendering
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BAINBRIDGE ISLAND STUDIO 1580 Fort Ward Hill Road
Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110 mclennan-design.com perkinswill.com/studio/bainbridge-island admin@mclennan-design.com
KANSAS CITY STUDIO 1475 Walnut Street Kansas City, MO 64106 perkinswill.com/studio/kansas-city
McLennan Design respectfully acknowledges the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples, who, throughout the generations have stewarded and thrived on the land where we live and work.
Henrico
LBC school building soars in North Carolina
eJag: Old Cat...New Tricks
Jaguar electric regeneration
The Art & Importance of Modeling
Why we create physical models
Juan Rovalo | Director of Ecology
Meet our newest team member
Studio 101: The Commute
How our team gets to the office
Inside
by Galen Carlson
Each year, students will plant a row of trees to gradually re-forest a portion of the site and show the gradual transformation over time
BUS DROP-OFF + PARKING
Electric buses will transport students to the site, arriving at a richly landscaped turnaround with integrated public parking
A shoreline boardwalk and dock will provide lake access for students to conduct water quality and wildlife experiments
An edible forest + orchard will feature native fruit trees and plants, highlighting Indigenous means of food gathering
A spiraling mound featuring native species and agriculture will lead to a feature windmill and well, showcasing renewable energy and water solutions 1 2 3 4 5
Something historic is underway in Henrico County, Virginia. Seeking to be the very first public school project anywhere in the world to pursue Living Building Certification, the Center for Environmental Science and Sustainability (HCPS Living Building of CESS) will provide an immersive nature-based learning environment for public school children throughout the surrounding county. Located on the historic 1,200 acre Wilton Farm, the program focuses on providing hands-on, experiential learning, offering access to hundreds of acres of healthy forest, creeks, and the iconic Whale Lake.
Intended to be a world-class example of an “educationally expressive” building, the design leverages the building itself as a teaching tool, featuring sloping roofs that dip down to touch the landscape and make visible their regenerative systems – such as a living green roof that serves as an extension of the surrounding wildflower meadow, or the rooftop solar panels providing 105% of the building’s annual energy needs. Above-ground rainwater cisterns and ground-level greywater filtration planters illustrate the water story of the project, highlighting how stormwater and rainwater are managed to accommodate all the building’s water needs on-site.
Underneath the building, glazed openings into HVAC, Electrical, and Composting rooms showcase the building systems and serve as active teaching moments, including composting toilets that turn waste into usable soil.
Emphasizing the project’s intimate connection to the surrounding landscape, the building is nestled into the terrain and offers a myriad of opportunities for relationship with the natural world. Spiraling site paths culminate in additional teaching spaces, such as a hilltop wind turbine and agricultural well servicing an edible forest and orchard, a lakeside dock and outdoor classroom, or even rows of trees planted by each year’s student class to reflect the gradual restoration of the site’s natural ecology.
Whether through the innovative use of salvaged materials and non-toxic building products, passive heating and cooling strategies, or the integration of abundant natural daylight in every space, Living Building of CESS will exhibit the very best in regenerative design practices. Our team is thrilled to partner with Henrico County Public Schools on this ambitious and transformative project, hoping to set a new standard in green building for the state of Virginia and for public school projects worldwide.
“IT IS A BEACON OF WHAT PUBLIC SPACES AND WHAT PUBLIC BUILDINGS NOT ONLY COULD BE, BUT SHOULD BE”
– MADISON T. IRVING, HENRICO COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Low-profile solar shingles provide an elegant sloping surface that is perfectly oriented for solar power generation, providing 105% of the building's energy needs
A wood bridge extends out from the entry of the treehouse-esque building, taking inspiration from playful archetypes children often resonate with
A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
Winding paths through the site and forest allow dramatic reveals of the building rising out of the landscape
Re-used tobacco barn siding will clad the exterior walls, harking back to the agricultural history and vernacular architecture of the region
“WHAT
– ALICIA S. ATKINS, HENRICO COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
A planted green roof provides a seamless extension of the meadow vegetation onto the building
Vertical shade fins protect the building from unwanted solar heat gain
A central elevated deck provides eye-level views of the surrounding forest canopy and peek-a-boo glimpses of Whale Lake beyond
An animated water experience
Greywater is discharged from planters to drip field below meadow
Site stormwater discharges into constructed wetland
Water outlets into constructed wetland
Greywater is discharged from the building into greywater planters
Water daylights in elevated runnel
Rainwater is captured from roof surfaces and used for irrigation
Captured run-off directed towards runnel
Water enters runnel, meanders through interactive zone, where water quality can be tested
An interactive natural laboratory
Habitat Displays
The green roof provides an extension of the wildflower meadow pollinator habitat
A re-wilded meadow landscape will feature native wildflowers and serve as pollinator habitat for a wide variety of species
"I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT COULD BE ONE OF OUR HCPS STUDENTS THAT SAVE THIS WORLD BECAUSE THEY'VE COME THROUGH THIS PROJECT AND HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY."
–
During the schematic design phase, our team had the opportunity to conduct a Biophilia Presentation and Workshop with nine current high school students from Varina High School. The workshop consisted of a presentation encompassing the basic principles of Biophilic Design, the latest research on the human health related impacts of biophilia, and a brief overview of the current project design.
Students were then broken out into smaller groups for an open discussion on ways to incorporate biophilia in the building and site design. This provided an opportunity for the students to share input on current public school facilities and practices, and offer suggestions on aspects to consider incorporating in the new Living Building of CESS facility.
Our team loved getting to meet some of the current students and hear their important and constructive ideas on how to make the Living Building of CESS project a success. This workshop is Part One of an ongoing effort to meet the LBC Beauty Petal requirements, and similar workshops will be included in future phases to carry this work forward.
I’vealways had a fondness for vintage Jaguar cars – the beautiful XK120s and 150s, the stately XJ6 and Mark series, and of course, the world’s most beautiful car – the XKE or “e-series” that even Ferdinand Porsche admitted was the most lovely ever. The truth is that I find most modern cars boring, ugly, and without a soul.
The same can’t be said about my beautiful 1973 Series III Jaguar that I’ve now converted to all electric propulsion. When I sold McLennan Design to Perkins&Will I decided to commemorate the milestone by seeking out an e-type in California where no salt and good weather more readily preserve them. I found one the same vintage as myself – a fun commonality.
Someone had already done the deed (considered sacrilege by purists) of removing the original engine, so I had no reservations about bringing this graceful cat back to life – faster, quicker to accelerate, and as beautiful as ever on the road, with no emissions.
Working with an EV conversion crew on Bainbridge Island (EV Works) we began the long process of engineering a high performance electric vehicle into a tight, curved form never intended for it. Each component was 3-D printed to ensure fit –and the assignment I gave the conversion team insisted that no modifications would be visible from the exterior. Under the hood (and in the trunk) are reclaimed Tesla Model S batteries, attached to a custom 500HP motor that delivers incredible performance – a 200 mile range and 0-60 in around 5 seconds (at least a second faster than the original could manage) - with better weight distribution for cornering than the original vehicle got.
Charging is done through a hidden port under the ‘gas flap’. All original instrumentation remains, but now, the glovebox hosts a computer, controlling charging and communicating range – like James Bond – in stealth mode. I reattached the twin exhaust pipes to maintain the original look, but they lead nowhere – the end of the line for internal combustion engines! It still has its original cigarette lighter – a function I don’t use – but hidden under the armrest is an iphone charger that connects wirelessly to a retro inspired Bluetooth sound system.
The result is spectacular – an ultra cool vehicle powered completely by the solar panels at my home and office. Given that nearly everything was “recycled”, it proudly sports an embodied carbon ratio about as low as possible for any vehicle on the road. I’ve christened the car “Sudbury” in honor of the city where I grew up – and where as a young kid I first dreamt of motoring around in a British icon.
Who says green can’t be cool and sexy?
by Jason F. McLennan
by Kishore Kandasamy & Galen Carlson Performance Team
In an increasingly digitalized world, the process of translating emerging designs into something that can be physically touched and studied still holds incredible value – and makes scale modeling one of the few remaining opportunities for a truly hands-on design experience.
There are several ways to explore designs in three dimensions –from conceptual study models, quick-and-dirty massing models, and highly polished presentation models. While physical modeling has its limitations, it can prove invaluable when it comes to transporting yourself inside the design environment - helping visualize designs in 3D space and make sense of how they fit into their site and context. In the McLennan Design Studio, we do create highly finished presentation models from time-to-time, but often our process involves much more informal study models. Typically constructed of the simplest of materials – such as cardboard, chip board, balsa wood, and 3D printed blocks – these models are meant to be efficient exercises that help us understand certain aspects of our larger project vision. That’s where the beauty of such modeling lies, in what it can teach you. It helps us zoom out from the plans, layouts, and details, and look in a much broader sense at the interaction of the building with its contextual elements.
There are some in the industry that like to question the necessity of model making in the current era of digital design. However, it is crucial to remember that the practice of architecture is as much tectonic as it is creative. Architects are not simply tasked with envisioning how a project might be realized – we must, in fact, bring that vision into reality. This requires a building that is not only beautiful, but buildable. Thinking through a physical medium such as scale modeling often highlights aspects of scale and constructibility that may not reveal themselves through purely digital means. Others may argue that the scale modeling process is simply too time consuming to be cost effective.
Yet operating at this quick-and-dirty level allows for rapid iterating – as long as you don’t treat your study models as too precious, removing a wall or column to see how it opens up a space three-dimensionally can be as simple as tearing off a piece of cardboard. No clicks required. Efficient model making is also a skill that – like any other – can be practiced and improved upon over time. Just as there is a learning curve to understanding a digital design tool such as Revit, there is a process to refine one’s model-making abilities. Distilling down a complex design into simple pieces that still convey the overall project vision is an essential skill that any architect should develop. Scale models are a tangible way to hone that skill, forcing one to focus on the foundational elements of the design and simplify all the extraneous details.
There are no hard-and-fast rules of what a scale model should be - If the model proves a useful tool in studying or communicating a project’s design and vision, it is a worthwhile endeavor. However, there are a few general attributes that most successful models exhibit:
1) The Simpler, The Better – Scale models can easily get bogged down if trying to be too granular. Don’t get caught up in window mullions and gutters, focus on the most important moves and the way the building fits into its larger context.
2) Be Abstract, But Specific – Some model elements look best when abstracted to a degree. Trees and landscaping, for example, often can be represented with the simplest facsimiles (a spring of baby’s breath, or some crumpled trace paper bunched onto a toothpick). However, being specific in certain moments (such as modeling the treads in an important stair, or the rafters of a historic roof) can help draw focus to important moments.
3) Be Consistent with Materials – If you want to represent materiality in your model, pick a simple palette of materials and stay consistent in how you express them. Or, you can choose the monochromatic route, and use one simple material (such as chipboard) to model the entire thing as efficiently as possible.
Follow these simple guidelines, remember to have some fun along the way, and scale modeling can quickly become a useful and efficient tool in your design practice.
Juan Rovalo joins the McLennan Design Studio and Perkins&Will as the firm's first Director of Ecology, bringing along 20+ years of ecology knowledge and expertise.
PHOTO BY JEFTÉ SANCHEZ
A skillful ecologist and innovative cross-disciplinary strategist, Juan brings 20+ years of expertise in ecologically integrated design, nature-positive projects, and scientific research. Juan’s work spans ecological assessments, biomimicry, geospatial analysis, and integrated design processes, all aimed at enhancing and restoring ecosystem functions and processes and creating multifunctional landscapes. With a proven track record of managing complex projects across 10 countries and over 15 unique ecological regions, Juan has contributed to transformative projects and conducted public outreach and education efforts worldwide.
• Expertise in integrating ecosystem intelligence, ecological assessments, landscape ecology, land stewardship, restoration, conservation, and regeneration into sustainability planning, design, and resilience strategies.
• Proficient in science-based site analysis methods, including rapid ecological analysis, forest landscape assessment tools, botanical inventories, aquatic resource delineation, and functional and biological assessments.
• Expertise in frameworks such as Biomimicry, Regenerative Design, Nature Positive, Living Building Challenge, and Nature-based Solutions.
• Skilled in Ecosystem-based Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.
Biomimicry has been a great vehicle to connect with a deeper understanding of the intersection of ecology and design. In all projects that I participate in, I am always asking “How would nature do it?” “What would nature do here?” etc. When we learn from nature, deeply, we are tapping into the ultimate model of sustainability and regeneration, which is the benchmark.
"Juan is the most talented ecologist I’ve had the pleasure of working with - and unlike others he also understands how to work with designers to create conditions conducive to life on our projects. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have him back on our team"
- Jason F. McLennan
It is exciting and challenging. The drive of designers to act and iterate to achieve certainty is different from the drive of scientists to study and look for evidence before acting. Architects and designers do not read scientific journals, and scientists are not trained to see the integration of elements that are integrated in a given design. We see things differently, value them differently, and have different frameworks. Still, the evolution of a given place is greatly influenced by design, for good or bad. The best design, in my opinion, includes in an elegant, beautiful, and efficient way not only the direct functions and goals of a given project, but the elements that integrate it also elegantly, beautifully, and appropriately to its surroundings, its processes, its culture, and serves the people and other species.
I would say that there are different types of anthropologists and ethnobotanists, and different projects might require different input.
Ethno-botany can provide the framework and input to include culturally significant landscapes, habitats, and species which for some projects might be a priority and great opportunity. Similarly, in some projects, the understanding of history, cultural landscapes, traditions, and current experiences might inform the project in essential approaches to the site, the space, and the people. Sometimes this is provided by a member of the culture in question, and not necessarily by an academic that studies the culture.
Design and ecology should not be separate fields. Good design considers the place in which the design will be built or used, including the culture, physical conditions, history, and other components, all nested within an ecological setting. It is surprising to me that this is not taught in universities as an indispensable topic. In any case, the performance of the design and the systems and processes that sustain life will both benefit from good design—one that collaborates with nature instead of trying to control or isolate its processes. We need to collaborate, even if we have different perspectives, values, methods, and ways of knowing. We need to be open to each others' perspectives. As an ecologist, I need to understand the design perspective, process, and values; and designers need to understand the same for ecologists and scientists. Both need to accommodate ‘the other.’
What sort of desk-top research do you do before going to a site and how does that inform what you look for when you go to the site?
I gather as much information as possible that prepares me to recognize, understand, and value the current characteristics of the site. For example, I look into available information regarding geology, soils, hydrology, climate, ecoregion, land use history including precolonial and post-colonial, common, migratory, and listed native species, invasive species, habitats (including sensitive ones), protected areas, existing and potential connectivity, local relevance, interests, and concerns, and social and environmental justice, climate projections, risks, and, if possible, future planned land use.
Each project is different, and the availability of information and data varies across geographies, also the relevance of different information varies by project.
What is a "reference habitat" and how do you select a reference habitat that is relevant to an urban or sub-urban degraded site?
The identification of a reference habitat is necessary to establish a benchmark and have elements and guidance to align as much as possible in composition, structure, processes, and functions. It is not necessarily a past historical state but the expression of its ecological recovery potential based on the current conditions and nature of the project.
What was your role in helping ILFI to draft the Ecology of Place Petal criteria and method?
I introduced them to the SER framework and collaborated on the structure of the imperative. As the standard has evolved over time, I believe the SER framework remains a worthwhile approach, and could benefit from some adjustments.
What is the SER method of site evaluation and how do you use the ecological recovery wheel tool to evaluate sites?
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) produced the International Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration. These standards provide a framework for guiding the development of ecological restoration projects and include a 5-star rating system. The standards can be downloaded from the SER website.
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) received authorization from SER to incorporate this framework to the Ecology of Place imperative to guide the planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects aimed at recovering and improving the ecological conditions of a given site. This process involves defining the baseline, comparing it against a reference ecosystem, and developing a plan to bridge the gap between the two.
2016: Juan onsite in Belize with McLennan staff
"My favorite aspect of working with this team is the shared belief that not only can we do good and necessary work together, but we can achieve something extraordinary." - Juan Rovalo
The framework proposes using six categories, or ecosystem attributes that facilitates the understanding of a complex system. Once appropriate data is gathered from the existing conditions of a site (baseline) and from a reference habitat, a plan can be defined with goals and objectives for each category. These goals and objectives will inform the indicators and metrics for monitoring. The recovery is then evaluated and ranked in five levels (represented by one to five stars) based on the degree of recovery the project is achieving. This is visually represented in a radial graphic known as the recovery wheel.
What do design teams need to do to plan for the work an ecologist might recommend doing?
What I recommend to design teams in working with ecologists is to work together in bringing the ecological setting of the site and its surroundings to the design table. Identifying what is important to protect, what needs to be improved, what are the opportunities, and understanding the potential before developing a fixed idea of the solution. The solutions should emerge from place, it should be the most appropriate one for the site and the users. The main idea is to be able to work together. Following E.O. Wilson's concepts: the stewardship of nature, and the expansion of human activities need to reshape and reinforce one another. What is happening right now is that expansion is forced over nature, degrading sustaining processes and biological communities with complete disregard for the interdependence between human well-being and healthy ecosystems.
We need to understand that nature is our most valuable asset and act accordingly.
The words come from the Latin re- (again) and generation (to produce or bring into existence), so regeneration implies to create again, or to bring forth again. That means that something is lost and is not only a matter of recovering a healthy state (latin recuperare). In terms of regenerative design, the key element is to identify our role in the process as cocreators, recognizing our capacity and intentionally applying it to participate in how the world is evolving, including all living communities, from an understanding of insoluble interdependence and mutual benefit.
What do you hope to contribute to the architecture practice?
I strive to bring ecological intelligence into the design process. The understanding that good design encompasses an ecological benefit, beyond a ‘no net loss’, but through a real ‘net gain’ approach.
your favorite memory or experience working with McLennan Design?
I have many memorable moments and events, but my favorite aspect of working with this team is the shared belief that not only can we do good and necessary work together, but we can achieve something extraordinary.
How did you encounter nature in your childhood, and how did that shape your eventual career as an ecologist?
Since I was very young, I had a strong biophilic expression. I remember a book called World Wildlife (Atlas Mundial de la Vida Salvaje) with a prologue by Sir Julian Huxley, and I remember studying for hours. I would fall asleep, and the book would cover most of my little body… I was always bringing home rocks, sticks, bones, and whatever I found interesting.
The National Geographic magazine, Jacques Cousteau encyclopedia, and TV show, even the movie Greystoke moved me. My parents always supported this interest
What advice would you give your younger self?
To pay attention earlier to the importance of having a longterm vision, with milestones and goals, while being present.
I love the outdoors and being able to visit wild places, trekking, diving, and camping really energize me. Working in our organic garden, eating from it, and working with the soil and the seasons is always very enjoyable. Traveling and learning continuously, including physical activities, personal growth teachings, and skillful methods.
Kelowna, B.C.
Kansas City (2) Los Angeles
Atlanta
Boulder
Brooklyn
The McLennan Design Studio sits on the south end of Bainbridge Island in the middle of the Fort Ward community that once was a military base. The staff commutes by land and by sea through breathtaking forests and waterways.
LOCAL ARTWORK
Art created by our very own Director of Creative Media, Josh Fisher, and his art partner Cory Bennett, featuring inspirational Green Warriors, including this portrait of Buckminster Fuller
RADIANT FLOORS
A new concrete floor slab hosts hydronic tubing for ultra-efficient radiant heating
MOHAWK CARPET
Red-List Free carpet tiles soften the space, selected from our award-winning Lichen collection designed in collaboration with Mohawk Group
Inspired by natural forms and created from sustainably harvested bamboo, these light fixtures are designed to flat pack to reduce their transportation footprint
From the creators of HenryBuilt, local Seattle outfit SpaceTheory manufactured the modular kitchen system featured in our office kitchen and living room space. Crafted from all-FSC-certified wood, the modular system features clean white cabinetry and rich walnut floating shelves for
An induction cooktop and electric wall oven provide a full-service kitchen without the use of any combustion
Manufactured by local Seattle outfit
SpaceTheory, the modular kitchen cabinetry and walnut shelving provides an elegant aesthetic with minimal installation labor required
an elegant, minimalist aesthetic with high-quality finishes. Created as a "self-installing product", the system is designed with simple interlocking and indexing mechanisms to minimize installation labor and provide a beautiful, longlasting kitchen solution uniquely customized to fit our space.
Models of Charles Rennie Mackintosh Buildings
[B] The social heart of the office
[C] Cider apples from our own office orchard
[D] Tin Tin memorabilia mugs
[E] Floating walnut shelving
[F] WOLF electric wall oven and microwave
[G] A fully stocked kitchen!
I’m your guide here. In the evening-dark morning streets, I point and name. Look, the sycamores, their mottled, paint-by-number bark. Look, the leaves rusting and crisping at the edges. I walk through Schiller Park with you on my chest. Stars smolder well into daylight.
Look, the pond, the ducks, the dogs paddling after their prized sticks. Fall is when the only things you know because I’ve named them begin to end.
Soon I’ll have another season to offer you: frost soft on the window and a porthole sighed there, ice sleeving the bare gray branches. The first time you see something die, you won’t know it might come back.
I’m desperate for you to love the world because I brought you here.
Founded in 2013 by global sustainability leader and green design pioneer Jason F. McLennan and joined by partner Dale Duncan, the firm dedicates its practice to the creation of living buildings, net-zero, and regenerative projects all over the world. As the founder and creator of many of the building industry’s leading programs including the Living Building Challenge and its related programs, McLennan and his design team bring substantial knowledge and unmatched expertise to the A/E industry. The firm’s diverse and interdisciplinary set of services makes for a culture of holistic solutions and big picture thinking.
In July 2022, McLennan Design merged with global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will to accelerate and scale up decarbonization. One of the world’s leading multi-disciplinary regenerative design practices, McLennan Design focuses on deep green outcomes in the fields of architecture, planning, consulting, and product design. The firm uses an ecological perspective to drive design creativity and innovation, reimagining and redesigning for positive environmental and social impact.
Jason F. McLennan is considered one of the world’s most influential individuals in the field of architecture and green building movement today, Jason is a highly sought out designer, consultant and thought leader. The recipient of the prestigious Buckminster Fuller Prize, the planet’s top prize for socially responsible design, he has been called the Steve Jobs of the green building industry, and a World Changer by GreenBiz magazine. In 2016, Jason was selected as the National Award of Excellence winner for Engineering News Record - one of the only individuals in the architecture profession to have won the award in its 58-year history.
McLennan is the creator of the Living Building Challenge – the most stringent and progressive green building program in existence, as well as a primary author of the WELL Building Standard. He is the author of seven books on Sustainability and Design used by thousands of practitioners each year, including The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. McLennan is both an Ashoka Fellow and Senior Fellow of the Design Future’s Council. Jason serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer at Perkins&Will and is the Managing Principal at McLennan Design.
