LOVE+REGENERATION • Summer 2024 • Volume 6, Issue Three by McLennan Design

inside The Great Transition Performance Modeling Inside The Studio SoRD

MY OH MY...

A Quarterly Journal from McLennan Design. Rediscovering our relationship to the natural world. Volume 6 Issue 3

Mass Timber Showstopper at Winona State University

Epic PNW Summer

Ah, the dog days of summer. It’s a time when we spend a lot more time outside here in the PNW – when we remember just why we live here in a place of beauty and perfect weather. It’s also a time of work-life balance as most of our team finds ways to take time with family on vacation while keeping our many projects moving forward. For me it was a summer of boating and camping – being on the water and by the water and deepening our connection to the incredible Salish Sea. This summer I saw numerous whales, orcas, seals and dolphins up close and personal. It has been an epic few months.

This issue focuses on a subject I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about – the wider implications of a society hesitant to return to work postcovid. All of us got comfortable doing work remote when we had to and now many of us have zoom fatigue and keep more variable schedules. What we often don’t do is think through the implications to our cities and urbanity in general – and to society and how we interact as people. This article does that.

Also included in this issue is a sneak peek at a great project we’re doing in Minnesota for Winona State and an in-depth article on how we use modeling and analysis to guide our deep green design outcomes by John Nelson, an innovative member of our team. There is also an update on some of the Regenerative Design trainings we’ve been doing with Perkins&Will leaders on Bainbridge Island by Phaedra Svec. Check it out!

As usual we are appreciative of the opportunity to share who and what we are and how we do what we do.

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer in the Northern Hemisphere!

Jason F. McLennan Founder,

Living Building Challenge Principal, McLennan Design

Chief

Sustainability Officer, Perkins&Will

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGER

DESIGN

SOCIAL MEDIA

John Nelson, Phaedra Svec, Josh Fisher, Galen Carlson summer 2024

Jason F. McLennan

Jay Torrell

Susan Roth

Summer 2024, Volume 6, Issue 3

LOVE + REGENERATION is a quarterly publication of McLennan Design, LLC.

Cover: Shutterstock

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.

Jason F. McLennan

John Nelson

Just because we can work from home, should we?

By Jason F. McLennan

HOW THE WORK FROM HOME PARADIGM IS HURTING CITIES, CULTURE, AND PERSONAL GROWTH

There is no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic shifted our collective thinking about many aspects of our society, one of which being the relationship between work and life. In particular, we have seen a seismic shift due to the adoption of remote work— more people than ever before are now working from home and are reluctant to go back to the workplace, even as companies across the country call for a return to the office. The adoption of remote work, facilitated by technological advancements allowing seamless collaboration from disparate locations, has become a defining feature of this new era. [1]

But just because we can work from home, does that mean we should? While the benefits of remote work are evident, including broader access to talent, enhanced family flexibility, and reduced commuting, it is crucial to confront the drawbacks. Several recent studies have contended that working from home is in fact less efficient than working at the office, [2] and we are only beginning to understand the ramifications of social isolation on individuals and communities as more people

work from home. There are obvious negative impacts on company culture and personal professional growth, and importantly, we also need to examine the effects of a remote workforce on our cities. As more people work from home, this translates to less activity in urban cores, undermining public transportation and hurting small and large businesses alike.

Today, as the great migration away from the workplace is beginning to reverse course to some degree, we are at a critical juncture to evaluate the consequences of remote work, especially those that might be detrimental for us as a collective society. Ultimately, I argue that while there are certainly benefits to remote work that make it preferential for some individuals and some businesses, it should be viewed as an exception, rather than the norm. Bringing people back to the office and maintaining a critical mass within physical workplaces and urban centers is essential for our societal well-being.

2 www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/06/28/the-working-from-home-delusion-fades

Vs.

The Myth of Personal Freedom in Working From Home

Proponents of remote work argue that it offers increased autonomy, flexibility, and a better work-life balance. The freedom to structure one’s workday according to personal preferences and needs is lauded as a liberating aspect of working remotely. Proponents also claim that remote work enhances productivity by minimizing distractions and reducing commute-related stress. [3] Furthermore, the elimination of geographical constraints enables organizations to tap into a more extensive talent pool without the limitations of physical proximity. [4] However, it is essential to scrutinize these perceived benefits, recognizing that many are matters of personal comfort and privilege rather than universally applicable reasons to endorse remote work on a societal level.

It’s important to remember that humans are social animals—we have evolved as a species to interact with others, and nothing can substitute the multi-sensory and neurological benefits of in-person interactions. [5] While introverts may think they prefer to work alone, they are not immune to the negative psychological impacts of isolation, an experience which extroverts find particularly vexing. And it’s not just a physiological impact—there is growing evidence suggesting a rise in loneliness and depression among remote workers. [6] The Covid-19 pandemic amplified feelings of loneliness that were already on the rise in our society, as a 2020 study conducted by Cigna revealed that 61% of respondents across industries and backgrounds reported feeling lonely. [7] Additionally, there is growing research on the need for humans to separate home life from work life, with another 2020 poll showing that 70% of people felt that mixing work and life responsibilities at home was a source of stress. [8]

The psychological impacts of working from home are not just an individual burden to bear. Researchers have suggested that the lack of face-to-face interaction in our

daily lives erodes social cohesion, hindering the development of meaningful relationships and community bonds. [9] Digital communication, while convenient, can never fully substitute for in-person engagement, impacting our collective ability to communicate effectively and build trust.

To take it a step further, we have to ask how the social isolation of remote work is affecting the sense of healthy urbanity in our cities, and what it is doing to our democracy and community institutions. Without the spontaneous social collisions and interactions with unexpected people and communities that come from leaving the house and engaging in the community via our workplaces, we can assume that individuals are more likely to stay in their existing social circles which are likely to then get smaller and more homogenous over time. We are creatures of habit and are less likely to seek out people and experiences that challenge our sense of comfort and beliefs about our place in the world. We already know that social media encourages this, with news feeds adapting to our likes and preferences and filtering out anything that doesn’t match our personal ideologies. The more we view things online and on social media, the more we are given similar things to view. This applies to innocuous subjects like cat videos and celebrity gossip, but also to more weighty topics like social opinions and political views. The algorithms are designed to feed us what will hold our attention the most, which is usually calculated to be something as similar as possible to what we’ve already viewed.

At its worst, prolonged isolation can make individuals more susceptible to echo chambers and radical ideologies, which is exactly what appears to be happening in the United States in particular. It’s not a stretch to connect the work-from-home phenomenon with the rise in political extremism we have seen amplify in the last few years and the associated distrust for mainstream media. For this reason, we need to weigh the individual benefits of remote work against the larger impact it is having on our society. When we take a closer look, a stay-at-home workforce may not lead to the kind of personal and social experiences we want to have. In fact, it may be downright harmful to our society.

3 This position may hold true for some individuals, but recent studies have shown that working from home is generally less productive (see Economist link above). It is also a privilege to be able to work from home, as most service professionals and those in industries like production, construction, and transportation are unable to work from home.

4 I should acknowledge that our own team at McLennan Design includes a handful of talented individuals in disparate locations who work for us remotely, and in this way we benefit greatly from their expertise accessible only through remote work.

5 Neurological studies continue to emerge on the physiological differences between virtual and in-person meetings on our bodies. https://neurosciencenews.com/zoom-conversations-social-neuroscience24996/?fbclid=IwAR0oYyinjhfdSwlBBX9CuAoOi2xcMam3_JZ9STXfC8r0NNvJv0mOo0Q7_9M

6 https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/zoom-remote-work-loneliness-happiness/618473/

7 https://legacy.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/ combatting-loneliness/loneliness-and-its-impact-on-the-american-workplace.pdf

8 https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-01bb31ef7c0ebcd3cf8131532d516530

9 Face-to-face relations are associated with stronger social ties than those developed through technologybased engagement. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6810742/

Effects of Remote Working on the Workplace

The shift towards remote work also has profound implications for the workplace, both for company culture and the neighborhoods where offices reside. While it is certainly nice to be surrounded by creature comforts when we work from home—a nap over lunch break, anyone?—we must examine what workers are missing out on by skipping the office. Being in the workplace means unavoidable chance encounters with coworkers, neighboring tenants and small business owners, building staff, delivery people, and countless other individuals outside our primary daily norms. We know how important it is to engage with people from all walks of life to develop empathy, compassion, and social cohesion. [10] Exposure to different cultures and people of different ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds is what builds tolerance and

leads to acceptance on an individual and ultimately a collective level. Working from home means we miss out on so many opportunities to learn from and connect with people who are different from us.

It’s also restricting our chances for moments of personal professional development. When we work remotely, the traditional opportunities for mentorship diminish, stunting professional development and blocking knowledge transfer. Remote employees may also feel less invested in their workplaces, leading to a decline in organizational loyalty. Personally, I can recall so many times early in my career when I learned from my coworkers how to handle clients, tough professional situations, and how to be a better architect, simply by overhearing phone conversations and being around more experienced individuals in meetings. Mentorship can happen in small moments by the water cooler and merely by striking up conversations as you walk by people’s desks. Informal mentoring diminishes significantly in work from home paradigms.

The reduction in social cohesion within the workplace also extends to the communities where our offices reside, impacting the vibrancy of neighborhoods. Less people coming to the office translates to less patrons for nearby coffee shops, lunch spots, and after work drinks and leisure activities. It also translates to less eyes on the street and fewer services, which can lead to growing safety concerns. Cities like Portland, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco have topped the news cycles in recent months as their downtowns have seen a rise in drugoverdose deaths, growing reports of theft, and increasing retail vacancies. [11] We have already seen the impact on small businesses in urban cores, which are experiencing a dwindling client base as offices sit vacant. [12]

As a society, we have made major strides over the last several decades towards strengthening our urban cores in this country and making them walkable, safe, and vibrant. But as office buildings sit empty and high vacancy rates only continue to grow across both major and minor cities, our cities are feeling the impact. While many are lauding the transformation of office buildings into housing, early research reveals these housing solutions are anything but satisfactory. [13] We cannot deny that the diminishing demand for physical office space is having drastic effects on our cities, radically transforming their economic and cultural landscapes for the worse. It is time to acknowledge that we are on a downward spiral and urgently need to shift course.

10 https://fortune.com/well/2023/02/28/what-remote-work-does-to-your-brain-and-body/

11 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/23/what-happened-to-san-francisco-really

12 https://www.npr.org/2023/05/12/1173902715/work-from-home-office-space-small-businesses

13 https://www.fastcompany.com/90866323/too-big-t and https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/ turning-empty-offices-into-apartments-is-getting-even-harder-b6659020

SHUTTERSTOCK

What is Happening to Our Cities?

The implications of remote work extend beyond individual and workplace well-being to the health of our cities. Since World War II, we have taken major strides towards creating vibrant, walkable downtowns served by public transportation. In fact, one Columbia Business School real estate professor even called the last three decades a “golden era” for big cities, citing a “virtuous cycle of improving amenities and job opportunities [that] attracted employers, employees, young and old, to cities.” [14] As we know, however, the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a massive migration away from urban centers towards more suburban areas. Reports showed as many as two million Americans moved out of the country’s big cities between 2020 and 2022, with 17 of the nation’s 25 largest counties suffering population losses during that time. [15] Even now, as urban dwellers move back to cities, they are still working remotely, with some studies revealing that more than 20% of urban employees now work full or part time from home. [16] In this way, the prevalence of remote work is halting the re-activation of urban life that we had hoped to see post-Covid.

Ultimately, remote work is eroding the major strides

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the work-fromhome phenomenon has put us on a degenerative path, which is why this moment calls for a reevaluation of our trajectory.

we have made in the last 30 years to develop our urban centers. Today, cities in all parts of the country are seeing a decrease in daily activity that translates to less patronage of small businesses and restaurants in urban cores, and less ridership on public transportation. [17] While in theory, reduction in daily commutes due to remote work equals a reduction in carbon emissions, the decline in consistent commuting is actually hurting our public transit systems the most, which need to thrive if we are to lessen our carbon footprint in the long run. [18] Suffering public transit also disproportionately impacts lower- and middle-class individuals who rely on it the most, thereby deepening the socio-economic divide. For our public transportation networks to survive and our cities to thrive, we need a critical mass in urban cores during the work week.

The health of our cities can be understood as an index of the health of our nation. Beyond the negative impacts on the infrastructure and transportation networks of our cities, the erosion of social bonds and community engagement resulting from widespread remote work is threatening to undermine our collective sense of civic engagement and community

resilience. In the current social, political, and environmental context, the need for human connection is more critical than ever before, especially if we are to collectively build a regenerative future where our social institutions are making a net positive impact on both people and the planet. While there may be a personal preference among some for remote work, we need to weigh this against the larger impact of remote work on our individual and collective well-being, and on the health of our cities and, ultimately, our planet. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the work-from-home phenomenon has put us on a degenerative path, which is why this moment calls for a reevaluation of our trajectory.

14 Cited by Thomas B. Edsall in “How a ‘Golden Era for Large Cities’ Might Be Turning Into an ‘Urban Doom Loop,’” New York Times, November 30, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/30/opinion/covidpandemic-cities-future.html

15 https://thehill.com/homenews/3944865-two-million-people-fled-americas-big-cities-from-2020to-2022/

16 Edsall, ““How a ‘Golden Era for Large Cities’ Might Be Turning Into an ‘Urban Doom Loop.’”

17 https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1212879398/public-transit-ridership-down-covid-pandemic-deathspiral#:~:text=Joel%20Rose-,Public%20transit%20systems%20try%20to%20avoid%20a%20%27death%20 spiral,as%20remote%20work%20hurts%20ridership&text=Somodevilla%2FGetty%20Images-,A%20 Metro%20train%20car%20travels%20along%20the%20Red%20Line%20in,returned%20to%20taking%20 mass%20transit

18 www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-05-12/working-from-home-has-fewer-commuters-on-buses-and-trains

SHUTTERSTOCK

How to Reorient the Path Towards Regeneration

As companies across the country grapple with the challenges of bringing workers back to the office, and individuals evaluate their personal preferences for remote versus in-person work, we are at a critical turning point to reorient our collective path back towards a regenerative future. Together, we must zoom out and evaluate the totality of consequences we have collectively experienced from the adoption of remote work over the last few years. It is up to us to decide if we should embrace remote work without qualification, or if a different mindset is needed.

While many companies are embracing a combination of in-person and remote work, is two or three days a week in the office enough? I argue it is not. We need a critical mass in our cities and workplaces, and I believe this can only happen with workers returning to the office a minimum of four days a week and full time for many. A model where individuals are in the workplace four days a week with the option to work remotely as needed allows for added personal flexibility, without sacrificing the benefits of physical presence. When individuals do engage in remote work, we can encourage them to work outside their homes if possible, setting up in coffee shops, work hotels, and the like. Balancing the benefits of remote work with the advantages of in-person work is key to a sustainable future.

The stakes are high—this is more than just a question of personal preference and individual comfort. It is my belief that if we continue to embrace remote work wholesale and without qualification, we will see damaging social consequences that will be next to impossible to undo. These include the deepening of class divisions, decreased urban activity, a downward spiral of individual mental health and loneliness, and stunted professional growth amongst younger generations. Even more frightening to consider are the potentials of social isolation to deepen existing prejudices and biases against minority groups and amplify political extremism. This is about more than just work—it is about our social cohesion and the type of future we want to build together.

While technology will continue to evolve and working from home will likely become easier and more streamlined, the ramifications of remote work on people, society, and cities must be taken seriously. It is up to us to look holistically at the impacts of working from home and decide if it leads to a future we want to inhabit.

The Covid-19 pandemic initiated a seismic shift towards the adoption of remote work—more people than ever before are now working from home and are reluctant to go back to the office, even as companies try to lure them back. But just because we can work from home, does that mean we should?

While there are benefits to remote work that make it preferential for some—such as enhanced family flexibility, reduced commuting, and broader access to talent—we need to consider the many detrimental impacts that a remote workforce has on our individual wellbeing, our social cohesion, and the long-term health of our cities.

Perceived Benefits vs. Societal Impact:

Proponents praise remote work for autonomy, flexibility, and productivity, but it’s essential to recognize that these benefits are often based on personal comfort and privilege, raising concerns about the broader societal implications.

Psychological Impacts:

Working from home may contribute to loneliness, depression, and social isolation, affecting mental health individually and eroding social cohesion collectively. The lack of face-to-face interactions hinders meaningful relationships and community bonds.

Impact on Democracy and Extremism:

Prolonged isolation may make individuals susceptible to echo chambers and radical ideologies, potentially contributing to the rise in political extremism and distrust for mainstream media, particularly in the United States.

Effects on Workplace and Communities:

Remote work diminishes workplace social cohesion, limiting chance encounters, mentorship opportunities, and personal professional development. This reduction in social interaction extends to communities, affecting the vibrancy of neighborhoods and impacting local businesses.

Health of Cities and Urban Life:

The prevalence of remote work is hindering the reactivation of urban life, leading to population shifts away from city centers. The decline in daily activity has negative effects on small businesses, public transportation, and overall city health, emphasizing the need to reevaluate the trajectory for a regenerative future.

Key Call to Action:

I am proposing a reevaluation of the current approach to remote work that acknowledges we need a critical mass in our cities and workplaces. I believe this can only happen with workers returning to the office a minimum of four days a week and full time for many. If we continue to embrace remote work wholesale and without qualification, we will see damaging social and environmental consequences that will be next to impossible to undo. We must shift course around the current preference for remote work if we are to collectively build a regenerative future— one where our social institutions are making a net positive impact on both people and the planet.

school of regenerative design

by Phaedra

THE LIVING DESIGN LEADERSHIP RETREAT THE REGENERATIVE LENS

Over nearly three decades of hosting leadership retreats for design and construction organizations, we have found in surveys that there are several common reasons given for why design professionals don’t pursue regenerative design solutions more often. The most common being, “it costs too much” often tied with, “my clients aren’t asking for regenerative design.” And most share that the typical design and construction process doesn’t allow time or fee to integrate regenerative thinking and analysis. For our engineering and construction partners, the same experiences seem to be shared.

Common reasons given for NOT pursuing regenerative design solutions:

Client is not committed or asking for it

• Adds first cost/construction cost

• Lack of education or shared knowledge on the design team

• Tight project schedules

• It is insufficiently integrated into the design process & workflows

Management and profitability targets do not support it

• Inadequate design fees

• Lack of good consultants to work with

• It is difficult in certain regions/climate zones/certain building types

• Limits design freedom or compromises aesthetic goals

These reasons are so commonly experienced and so deeply held as beliefs that most professionals have come to accept them as truths. And because we collectively bring about what we focus on (and don’t bring about what we don’t focus on), we tend to make them true or allow them to be true so often that they have become self-fulfilling prophecy.

MD Offices

Islandwood

Washington State

Bainbridge Island

The McLennan Design team has had a different collective experience. Around the turn of the century, we set out to identify and test every one of these barriers and to find ways to overcome them through design. We did find solutions, often because we did not stop when we first encountered the barrier. Instead, we asked one or two more essential questions until we found the root of the problem and could then identify some solutions. As we experienced different outcomes, we could no longer see them as barriers, but instead as challenges with real solutions. This simple shift from belief in the barrier to belief in the power of design opened a world of possibilities. With practice we found more efficient ways to integrate regenerative thinking into our processes and then to change our process and workflow to set projects up for success. By collecting these solutions and codifying these processes we soon found that we had some lessons to share with others seeking to transform their practice toward regeneration. It is from this sharing that the School of Regenerative Design (SoRD) was born.

In 2024, Perkins&Will began a series of internal leadership retreats facilitated by the McLennan Design team to ensure that design, planning and practice leaders could benefit from examples of overcoming these common challenges. The goal was to transform beliefs in what may seem impossible into a strong shared experience of what is possible.

In addition to sharing our philosophy of and approach to regenerative design, we came together in small groups to explore techniques for setting projects up projects for success. We explored the economics of regenerative design and methods for overcoming first-cost hurdles while delivering long-term value. We explored shared experiences of integrative design success. We shared an order-of-operation approach to analysis work. We shared techniques for understanding place and listening to what our clients and their care-holders value. We made connections to the aspects of regenerative thinking that will help clients to bring about what they care about most, such as:

• Reducing the total cost of ownership

• Improving long-term flexibility and reducing ongoing maintenance challenges

• Employee health and wellbeing (and therefore productivity)

• Recruiting and retention of the best and brightest talent

• Meeting diversity, equity and inclusion goals

• Meeting Environmental and Social Governance reporting targets

• Building brand loyalty and earning customer trust

• Gaining a reputation for innovation and leadership

• Earning neighborhood support by improving the quality of life

• Creating healthy, beloved habitats and community places that will be cherished and protected for generations to come.

IslandWood Retreat Center

Heron Hall

“There have been some instances in my P&W tenure that have translated into meaningful personal + professional experiences, the ones that move things forward. Our time together @ Bainbridge [Island] was a reset to focus on what is really important – a reminder we need to impact more effectively our work.”

– Yanel Enid de Angel Salas, Principal, Managing Director of the Boston Studio

Leadership retreats will continue in 2025 and are one part of a comprehensive ongoing educational program at Perkins&Will consistent with our purpose “as a global collective of designers and change makers who aspire to create places where humanity thrives in harmony with nature. Our future depends on it. Our work is driven by curiosity, powered by research and technology, and fueled by grit and ingenuity. We strive to make a positive difference every day. To do the right thing. To seek out ways to be even better.”

The School of Regenerative Design is one way that we will continue to expand what is possible within our teams and on behalf of those we serve.

Islandwood Forest Tour

Ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION

WHAT DOES MODELING HELP WITH?

by John Nelson Performance Team

The crux of Zero Carbon buildings is making them cost effective. There are no shortages of solutions that exist, but there are large variations in how elegantly those solutions are integrated into projects. Every industry has the need to use resources wisely. Sustainable buildings are no different.

So how have the buildings that have achieved high performance at a competitive first cost done so? There isn’t one answer, as every project has different opportunities and challenges, but there are common threads. Many of these projects blur the line between systems and architecture. With passive strategies playing an elevated role in delivering comfort and healthy environments, systems can be deemphasized, and the investment thereof. This is a highly integrated result, starkly different than approaching sustainability as a series of add-ons over a fundamentally business-as-usual approach.

To achieve this level of refinement, modeling is an essential tool. From converging on an early concept to optimizing aspects of design, modeling is the best tool to compare important decisions and substantiate that performance goals are being met.

McCall Field Campus

PHILOSOPHY

RULES OF THUMB ARE RELIED ON IN THE ABSENCE OF MODELING. WHILE SOMETIMES USEFUL AND ALWAYS FAST, THEY CAN BE DANGEROUS.

APPROACH TO MODELING SHADING FROM TREES FOR THE MCCALL FIELD CAMPUS. While the full detail of all trees would be computationally unfeasible, an approximation is paramount for modeling the project in its site context.

WHEN TO MODEL & THE ROLE OF THE EXPERT

Many rules of thumb are based on the notion that commercial buildings are ‘internally loaded’ (internal heat gains from people, computers etc.), often leading to relatively low levels of insulation being deemed appropriate. This is sometimes true! A thermally light building with a sizeable core might see morning warmup followed by mid-day cooling in a cool climate. The rule of thumb that insulation would be less impactful than efficient systems in this mechanically dependent building aren’t baseless – there are years of study and experience behind them, and have relevance for this business as usual approach.

There is also a class of green buildings that flips this notion on its head. Passive hybrid buildings that provide access to daylight and natural ventilation are not so ‘core’ driven. They are often intentionally thermally massive so that windows can be opened at night to cold thermal mass passively, offsetting cooling the next day while providing abundant fresh air. In this case, all rules of thumb on insulation are out the door. There is more exterior wall to floor area placing emphasis back on the envelope, there is greater passive autonomy (systems off), and much of the engineering is centered around thermal mass temperatures.

So, what is the optimal amount of insulation for this case? The rule of thumb is now worse than useless – it’s misleading. While there are great benefits to this building type that even go beyond energy and carbon, the thermal mass can be a store for unwanted coolth if not properly insulated. There are more dynamics at play, and we haven’t even gotten into glazing and solar control yet. Radiant integrates so well with these strategies and likewise has a slew of other benefits, but it does keep mass warmer overnight, which increases the need for insulation in some climates. This all must be done right, and the sheer amount of math a proper model performs to solve these dynamics is astonishing.

An expert can and should intuitively know when rules of thumb are inadequate, but could still benefit from the optimization modeling can provide to use resources wisely. But the role of the expert is more profound. Models cannot generate ideas or solve problems for you. They test cases to learn from. Not silver bullets, but rather a tool to empower the ecologically minded designer to understand tradeoffs and combinations. A designer does not need to know how to model, but interpreting a model is critical.

ACCURACY & TIMELINE

As is the case with most aspects of design, modeling is iterative. A model doesn’t need to answer everything at once. Modelers should always ask what questions they are trying to solve with the model, to properly bound their analysis and promptly provide important feedback to the team. ‘Too much too late’ has been a reported pain point in surveys. Bite-sized information can be more valuable to a team.

‘Shoebox models’ are an example of that bite-sized feedback. They should never be used to tell you final answers. But they are incredibly useful at helping you define the challenges you are solving. If modeling is to be useful, it has to inform design. By definition, this means that modeling is performed ahead of decisions. Reviewing results from a shoebox model is like reviewing climate data, but with a deeper level of synthesis. For instance, climate data will tell you solar radiation, which is helpful to see and comprehend, as climates can vary greatly. A shoebox will additionally tell you how much solar radiation is transmitted through glass given the reflection angles at play, as well as cloud cover. These can be powerful differences, and just as quick to receive. They should be interpreted as an early look, to start generating conceptual ideas from – but never as the final answer.

As geometry takes shape, accurate representation of it becomes important. Solar gain can be the largest load a building deals with, and proper daylight and solar control should be captured in the model for the results to be meaningful. This is particularly true for exterior shading strategies. There is a balancing act in keeping models simple enough to be nimble, but accurate enough to capture what matters in the architecture’s effect on comfort and energy. While this isn’t a how-to-model article, it’s worth addressing that these simplified models often combine like exposures into large thermal zones, and many modelers miss adding back the internal mass of interior walls – we don’t occupy huge Core and Shell spaces, and the heat storage of all of these surfaces matter greatly.

PERFORMANCE MODELING PROCESS

Early activities focus on rapid feedback of important characteristics which get set early in the project design, but have a large impact. Further activities focus on combinations such as a cost transfer from mechanical to architecture (active to passive), and optimizations of design.

HENRICO SD SPACE USE SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS

The model used the most likely plug load scenario, which is low for this building compared to other commercial projects. Sensitivity analyses were used to understand the scenario of every student bringing a laptop (as well as 0-200% increases in plugs, not shown). Other ‘known unknowns’ include how much the building is used for after hours events. One of a dozed cases run is included to the left.

Finally, the space has strong passive features that can allow space temperature to drift up while remaining comfortable due to cool surfaces. If the end users don’t operate the building this way but rather turn up the cooling, we don’t have to guess at the effect.

Heating

Domestic Hot Water

Lighting

Plug Load

Pumps and Fans

Cooling

CONSERVATISM, OR SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS?

We’ve all seen the 20-person conference room being used by 2 people. We all leave an empty desk time to time, especially in a post-COVID world. Buildings see a large diversity in uses. They need to be designed to handle peaks, but the intention with modeling is typically to capture regular use. It is a disservice to assume the building has more internal heat gains than it actually does in the name of being conservative, as it can lead to incorrect conclusions.

As an example, while studying exterior shading of a dormitory earlier this year, an engineer critiqued our model that the lighting power density was too low and told us the number it ‘needed’ to be. The engineer’s recommendation would translate to 12 light bulbs being on in a little room. Our response – we’ll run your case and put it in the Appendix, but we’re basing the model on how buildings are really used. The example is relevant because it is very common for engineers to hold high plugs in their load calculations, and its commonly deemed as being conservative.

As an alternative, model it the way that an honest assessment of the building’s use would look for typical operation. To understand ‘risk’ in a denser loaded building, run the cases with greater density and review how performance changes. Look at low use too, which is at least as likely of a risk and would favor greater insulation. Study the impact of setpoint changes too. These are all quick to do and there is a compelling reason; when layers of conservatism are layered on, they can be impossible to track mentally and cause the results to drift. Instead, model for reality, and test possibilities – even carry a contingency if needed, but don’t pad fluff into it.

MODELING APPLICATIONS

Begin with defining what question you are attempting to answer, then choose the correct tool for the application. While this is not a software review, it is worth noting that some energy modeling softwares are inadequate for handling passive strategies or understanding thermal mass. There is also variation in the level of mechanical integration achievable. Finally, they vary greatly in their transparency. Some are in step with the academic community and national laboratories, and have rich literature reviewing capabilities and limitations, while some are black boxes.

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD)

CFDANALYSIS| ANKLE

CFD models are by far the most detailed, computationally speaking. They provide insights into spatial differences that energy models otherwise lack. Energy models use a single ‘node’ for all of the air in each zone, to reconcile all conservation of energy and mass equations. Surfaces are likewise treated monolithically, in that the top and bottom of a wall would be the same temperature. By contrast, CFD discretizes the entire analysis into small cells by which all of the fundamental thermodynamics and fluid dynamics are solved. In this case, a CFD model was used to investigate improved heating distribution options for a historic brick building, and specifically ankle draft concerns are studied in these images.

Ankle Temperature: 66.65°F -would limit head temperature to 72F.

Ankle Temperature: 69.5°F Eliminate cold draft at the floor.

Models were used to investigate concern of cool surface temperatures and hot air in heating mode during the winter, and the thermal asymmetry they cause. Specifically in this set of results is the ankle temperature relative to head temperature, which is limited to 3C difference per ASHRAE 55.

Ankle Temperature: 68.6°F Eliminate cold draft at the floor.

FAN COIL WALL RADIATOR

PANEL

Ankle Temperature: 66.65°F -would limit head temperature to 72F.

FAN COIL

WALL RADIATOR CEILING PANEL

Ankle Temperature: 69.5°F Eliminate cold draft at the floor.

Ankle Temperature: 68.6°F Eliminate cold draft at the floor.

NATURAL VENTILATION

‘Bulk Airflow Models’ or ‘Pressure Network Models’ are two names for the same process. These models solve for air changes by natural ventilation based on wind and buoyancy. They can be either standalone or combined with advanced energy models for thermal coupling and best results. These models also solve for air quality in a space, which has a clear link with cognitive function and productivity.

Cross ventilation as well as high/low windows on the north (image above) will allow high ventilation rates naturally in this cool climate. The cross ventilation is particularly powerful in a case with wind, where as the high/low openings use buoyancy to drive flow in the absence of wind. This can all be solved through models.

McCall Field Campus

ENERGY MODELING

Energy models are the most versatile of these tools and can be combined with other models shown in this section. They provide a dynamic thermal simulation, stepping through a year (or more) of simulation. By contrast, traditional engineering uses a loads model which solves quasi-steady state equations for peak conditions only. This dynamic aspect of energy models makes them the best tool available for a variety of performance questions, from part-load performance of equipment to thermal memory and surface temperatures. While total predicted energy use is an important result, the real value is in understanding the breakout and drivers for actionable solutions.

Predicted Site Energy Use for the Henrico County Center for Environmental Science & Sustainability.

In the suggested solution, the building is cooled overnight with night air, and added thermal mass in form of biobased phase change material allows that coolth to stretch into the next day. By contrast, the basecase stays warm overnight, and begins the next morning with air conditioning.

Henrico County Center for Environmental Science and Sustainability

Shading is a large aspect of this design, including both a generous overhang and vertical fins built from wood for low-embodied carbon.

THERMAL COMFORT

Thermal comfort is complex, with surface temperatures carrying more impact than conventionally understood. Models can solve for surface temperatures and solve for comfort results such as Predicted Percent Dissatisfied (PPD) using methods outlined in ASHRAE 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. In this case, two cases are compared, highlighting how warm surface temperatures (Mean Radiant Temperature) is causing discomfort.

THERMAL COMFORT

12% 6.5%

Basecase Proposed Phase change materials and night purge via DOAS

Thermal comfort results showing a daily pattern of the predicted percentage of people who are thermally dissatisfied (PPD), and a solution to reduce it to the minimal possible. On the lower right, and the cause of that dissatisfaction on the upper right (warm surface temperatures). Both the basecase and a strategy to resolve it are shown.

OPERATIVE

TEMPERATURE: PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL + NIGHT FLUSH

Night flush is optimized given DOAS flow rates & fan energy.

Max flow rate selected by optimizer is 1.6 ACH in August (less than DOAS max). DOAS provides substantial passive cooling benefit. A follow-up study can investigate increased benefit from increased airflows in the night flush, as well as from exposing the topping slab.

Heat maps for the same analysis showing annual results for Operative Temperature (a combination of air and surface temperatures, which is more in-line with how humans perceive comfort).

WARM SURFACES CAUSE DISCOMFORT DESPITE 75°F AIR TEMPERATURE

BASECASE RETAINS WARMTH THROUGH SUMMER NIGHTS

PCMS RETAIN ‘COOLTH’ THROUGH SUMMER DAYS

NIGHT PURGE IS EFFECTIVE DURING SUMMER NIGHTS

IMPACT

THERMAL ENERGY BREAKDOWN

Models provide a breakdown in what is actually driving the thermal loads. There is an old adage ‘what gets tracked gets managed’. We can likely all relate to this with our personal finances – if spending is too high, we go look back at what was extraneous or beyond our plans. In this case, breaking out the drivers in the project’s Basecase thermal loads helped identify solutions which reduced them by 70%.

Thermal energy breakdown for a project with high dehumidification rates. Understanding magnitudes and drivers helps teams prioritize and deliver the best solutions.

PARAMETRIC ANALYSES

A parametric analysis is stepping one parameter in a model across a wide range to understand its sensitivity. This identifies where diminishing returns exist, and even inflection points for some variables. This allows teams to spend resources wisely.

Parametric Analyses for the Mercer Middle School help projects tune the envelope and use their resources wisely.

HEAT BALANCE

Presenting model results from a heat balance standpoint leads to new insights. All of this data is ultimately manifested in heating and cooling energy. Viewed this way, a team has new agency to control it. The breakdown matters for focusing on what is impactful of course. But presenting this way is an invitation for a team to step beyond trying to minimize unwanted gains or losses, and incorporate strategies to bring in more winter gains (solar primarily) or summer losses (natural ventilation primarily).

ZoneInfiltrationSensible

GroundExposedSurfaces

RoofSurfaces

ExteriorWallSurfaces

SurfaceWindow

ZoneInfiltrationSensible

ZoneInfiltrationSensible GroundExposedSurfaces

GroundExposedSurfaces

ZoneInfiltrationSensible

ZonePeopleSensible

RoofSurfaces

GroundExposedSurfaces

ExteriorWallSurfaces

ZoneLights

RoofSurfaces

ExteriorWallSurfaces

SurfaceWindow

ExteriorWallSurfaces

ElectricEquipment

SurfaceWindow

ZonePeopleSensible

SurfaceWindow

ZoneLights

ZonePeopleSensible

ElectricEquipment

ZonePeopleSensible ZoneLights

ZoneLights

ElectricEquipment

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

ZoneNaturalVentilation

ZoneInfiltration

ZoneNaturalVentilation

GroundExposedSurfaces

ZoneInfiltration

GroundExposedSurfaces

RoofSurfacesHeatLoss

GroundExposedSurfaces

RoofSurfacesHeatLoss

ZoneNaturalVentilation

ExteriorWallSurfaces

RoofSurfacesHeatLoss

ExteriorWallSurfaces

SurfaceWindow

ExteriorWallSurfaces

SurfaceWindow

ZoneInfiltration GroundExposedSurfaces

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

McCall Concept Monthly Heat Gain

McCall Concept Monthly Heat Loss

McCall

LIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSIS (LCCAS)

The industry has a hyper focus on first costs to the point where the cost effectiveness of some strategies becomes a mantra without real consideration about the application being considered. For organizations which have a long-term horizon for the building, some strategies which carry an upfront premium are absolutely financially responsible decisions. LCCAs provide such information to the team.

30-YEAR TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

CONCLUSION

Modeling empowers teams to use resources wisely, and verify that performance goals are being met. Conventional wisdom and rules of thumb are not always wise. While many common threads exist across projects, buildings are unique and have different challenges and opportunities, which is part of the fun of this discipline.

SHADING FOR THE HMTX PROJECT. Often viewed as a premium, shading makes this building less mechanically dependent. From a Life Cycle Cost standpoint, it reduces energy and maintenance costs.

MY OH MY...

WINONA

Mass Timber Showstopper at Winona State University

Welcome to an exclusive first look at our emerging designs for CICEL - the Center for Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Engagement, and Learning - at Winona State University! Currently in schematic design and targeting NetZero Energy status, the project is being designed in collaboration with the Perkins&Will Minneapolis studio and hopes to become the central jewel of this vibrant university campus. Hosting four different university departments and providing state-of-the-art classroom, lab, and administrative spaces, the building hopes to engender a robust, collaborative, cross-discipline mixing of the various university programs and put WSU on the map as a truly innovative campus on the forefront of sustainable thinking. A hybrid structural approach combines elegant steel and mass timber to reduce embodied carbon and meet the challenging needs of Minnesota’s climate extremes. A solar super-roof will host an expansive rooftop PV array to meet the ambitious NetZero Energy goal, sheltering a roof deck that provides stunning views to the bluffs surrounding Winona and out over a brand new greenspace serving to expand the campus’ rich landscape. Stay tuned for more exciting developments underway on this visionary project!

FOREST TRAIL

LOW-CARBON MASS TIMBER STRUCTURE

Timber is celebrated and expressed on the interior and exterior to showcase lightweight, low-carbon design and technology

ROOFTOP PV ARRAY

Designed to provide 105% of building’s energy needs

SOLAR SHADING

Reduces energy costs and solar glare and provides semi-covered outdoor space for seasonal use

EQUITABLE SPACES

Each classroom and office for depatment staff and faculty is designed to ensure access to daylight, views, and fresh air

ROOFTOP

EVENT SPACES

Bonus multi-use space is provided on the rooftop with panoramic views of Winona State University campus and the surrounding landsape

PROMOTES HEALTH & WELLNESS

Celebrating the stair activates the corner and encourages physical activity and movement throughout the building

OUTDOORSOCIALSPACE

SOUTH FACING COVERED PORCH

The new building overlooks the main campus quad and becomes a new space for campus gatherings and an upgraded central heart of campus

100% CORNER

Ground level activated by social common spaces

THE FIRST NET ZERO BUILDING FOR THE MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY NETWORK!

The design, construction, and operation of this building is focused on occupant health and well-being as well as responsibly operating the building long term. This is accomplished by following the highperformance goals guided by the Living Building Challenge. This will set a new benchmark for the State of Minnesota, Winona, and Winona State University for decades to come and hopefully inspire a new generation of beautiful, super-efficient, healthy, and place-based buildings!

LOCAL MATERIALS

Regionally sourced stone is used on exteriors and establishes the building as something rooted in the region and inspired by the bluffs surrounding Winona

REGIONAL BIODIVERSE LANDSCAPE

Planters around the building are abundantly filled with regional, pollinator friendly, biodiverse plants and shurbs

REWILDED PRAIRIE & BIOSWALE

NEW GREENSPACE & EVENT LAWN

TREE BUFFER TO SOFTEN STREET EDGE

AWARDS & REGISTRATIONS

Accolades gathered from throughout Jason’s career illustrate the impact of transformative regenerative design and idea leadership.

LOCAL ARTWORK

Art created by Jason’s talented wife, Tracy and friend Eric, bring color and vibrance into the office space.

SALVAGED DOUGLAS FIR

DESK & FLOATING SHELVES

100-yr-old floor joists salvaged from the adjacent historic Barracks building create a truly one-of-a-kind work surface for Jason’s endless creativity, along with floating shelves of the same material above.

RADIANT FLOORS

A new concrete floor slab hosts hydronic tubing for ultraefficient 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.

JASON’S OFFICE

Step inside Jason’s office and get a glimpse of the inspiring workspace that has served as the birthplace for his latest visionary ideas! Anchoring one end of the recently completed renovation of an historic 1911 Stables building that used to be the military’s Coal Storage building now serves as our design studio, Jason’s office features delights at every turn. Flooded with natural light from salvaged wood windows and a solar-operated skylight, the space is tastefully decorated with items that inspire Jason and reflect the power of regenerative design - from his playful collection of TinTin memorabilia to the biophilic touches found in living plants and lichen-inspired carpets.

SALVAGED WOOD WINDOWS & DOORS

Reclaimed Douglas Fir is featured in all of the wood windows and doors throughout the building, manufactured in Jeld-Wen’s Oregon factory - the only facility in the nation to offer salvaged wood for new window installations.

[A] Camp Everhappy scale model [B] Built-in flat file storage

[C] TinTin collectible memorabilia [D] World’s Finest Chocolates

[E] AIA Visionary Certificate of Achievement [F] Native African mask

[G] Iconic designer furniture - Eames Lounge Chair & Arco Lamp

[H] Salvaged 1907 original door from Seattle’s Moore Theater [I] Asterix, Comic Character

[J] Winona State study model & a book from a local author

DESIGN CLASSICS

Iconic Modernist furniture pieces, like this classic Eames storage unit, elevate the interiors and bring warmth into the space.

Staff Favorite Cultural Recipes

SWEDISH PANCAKES

Sweden • Stephen Gibson

2 C milk

1 1/2 C flour

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C melted butter

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth, scraping the sides of the jar as required.

Serve with butter, fresh berries, and sugar.

Best breakfast ever.

PANZANELLA SALAD (ITALIAN)

Italy • Phaedra Svec

Heirloom Tomatoes

Fresh Genovese Basil

Sour Dough bread diced into chunks and toasted (maybe with olive oil and garlic salt)

Optional Ingredients: Feta or Buffalo Mozzarella cheese

Olives (kalamata and/or big fat green olives)

Cucumbers

Onion

DRESSING

Red Wine Vinegar

EVO

Black Pepper

Garlic cloves diced

AUNT SHELLY’S BANANA PANCAKES

USA • Jay Torrell

This hybrid pancake/crepe recipe was created by my Aunt Shelly over 50 years ago to feed her children (and nephews) more eggs. Kids and adults love them. They’re even great cold.

Aunt Shelly’s pancakes are an adaptation (less sugar, add banana and butter) of a recipe by the actress Judy Garland. It appeared in the 1965 cookbook, “Who’s Who in the Kitchen,” compiled by Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.

2 Tablespoons Butter

6 eggs (or 5 eggs to make a thicker batter) ½ cup flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 banana (ripe)

Cooking Spray

Melt butter and set aside.

In a blender, process ingredients from eggs to banana, adding them one at a time and in order, while continuing to blend the batter.

On a hot, lightly greased griddle – “It needs to be sizzling hot” – pour 3-to-4-inch circles of batter. Cook for about 1 minute until bubbles just start to form, flip and cook another minute. Serve with “burrup.”

BURRUP

2 tablespoons butter ½ to ¾ cup syrup

Heat in microwave, mix and serve over Aunt Shelly’s Banana Pancakes.

DOSAI (THO-SIGH)

India • Kishore Kandasamy

Dosai (Tho - sigh) is a fermented rice and lentil crepe. A delicious South-Indian breakfast, needless to say it is omnipresent in all the southern states in India and in our hearts. Its infinite permutations and combinations with chutneys, dry powders, stews, pickles, etc makes it a comfort food for millions.

DOSAI BATTER

• Soak 3cups of Idli rice (any parboiled short grain rice) for 3 hours.

• Soak 3/4 cup Urad dal (skinless black gram) for 3hrs

• Soak 3tbsp fenugreek seeds

• 1/2cup boiled rice (if you have it, its fine if you do not)

GRINDING

• Grind soaked rice and the boiled rice to a consistency that flows continuously when you pour it (be extra cautious to not make it runny, I add water by tbsp).

• Grind urad dal and fenugreek seeds to a consistency thicker than rice batter. (Add as little water as possible).

• Mix both batters together with required salt and mix it with bare hands for 1.5-2min.

Let it ferment overnight or 8-12hrs. You might have to keep it inside the oven with just the lights on if you are living in cold climate. It’s ready when it raises twice the amount and you can refrigerate it and store it for a week at least.

DATE WHIRLS

USA • MidWest • Susan Roth

My Grandma Croy always had these in the cookie jar waiting for us when we visited her in Ohio. A classic midwest comfort dessert!

DOUGH:

4 C. flour

1/2 t. salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 C. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 C. butter

1 T. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla

DATE MIXTURE:

18 oz pitted dates

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. sugar

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 chopped walnuts (optional)

Cook dates in water until soft, mix well and add juice and nuts. Set aside. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Add four, soda and salt. Roll dough into a rectangle 3/4” thick. Spread with date mixture and roll. Place log into fridge until firm enough to slice. Slice into cookies about 1/23/4” thick. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

GERMAN POTATO SALAD

Germany • Johanna Collins

This is my go-to when I am craving a taste of home or need a refreshing side dish for summer barbecues. It pairs well with pretty much anything or simply on its own. Ingredients for 4.

FOR THE SALAD

2 lb of potatoes (I use Yukon gold as they stay firm when boiled)

Salt

½ Tbsp Hawthorn seed

1 small onion

½ English cucumber

2 Tbsp browned butter

1 Tbsp parsley

FOR THE DRESSING

400 ml Chicken broth

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Mustard (Dijon or Yellow mustard)

Salt | Cayenne | Sugar

THE RECIPE

1) Clean potatoes and boil in salted water with the hawthorn seeds. Once done, drain liquid and peel the skin while potatoes are still warm. Slice, adding into a bowl.

2) For the dressing, heat the broth, stir in red wine vinegar and mustard. Add some salt, cayenne pepper and a pinch of sugar to your liking. Add a handful of sliced potatoes and blend. Once done, mix in the liquid into the potatoes, slowly adding liquid and stirring. It should all have a creamy consistency, not too watery.

3) Peel onion and chop into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion. Cook until lightly browned. Rinse the cucumber and slice thinly, leaving the skin on.

4) Add the browned butter, onions, parsley and cucumber to the potatoes and stir while adding ingredients. If you prefer, you can add freshly ground pepper.

The salad tastes great without the cucumber (if cucumbers are not your jam)… You can also substitute the parsley with chives…

Ich wünsche dir einen guten Appetit!!

CHICKEN TACOS

W/ WATERMELON

MUCHIM

Mexico • Galen Carlson

FOR THE MARINATED CHICKEN

4 large jalapeños, whole

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup packed cilantro stems

1/2 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

FOR THE WATERMELON MUCHIM

1 cup diced watermelon

1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced into rings

1 teaspoon gochugaru

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon toated sesame oil

Pinch of sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE TACOS

10 to 12 small (6-inch) soft flour tortillas Cilantro leaves, for serving Lime wedges, for serving (SERVES 4 TO 6)

1. Marinate the chicken: In a food processor or blender, blitz together the jalapeños, garlic, clilantro stems, olive oil, salt, sugar, and black pepper until smooth. Add the marinade to a medium bowl, followed by the chicken, and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate, covered for up to 8 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

3. Using a slotted spoon or your fingers, remove the chickn pieces from the marinade and transfer to the lined sheet pan. Roast the chicken until it begins to brown at the edges and is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the watermelon muchim: In a a small bowl, stir together the watermelon, jalapeño rings, gochugaru, vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt and black pepper to taste and set aside.

5. When you’re ready to taco up, heat the tortillas in a dry pan or over a low open flame, turning them often, until warmed through (and slightly charred if warming over a flame). Top each tortilla with a couple pieces of chicken, a spoonful of watermelon muchim, and some cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

PEANUT BUTTER PINWHEELS

Quebec, Canada • Simon Tremblay (Intern)

INGREDIENTS

mashed potatoes

salted butter

vanilla extract

powdered sugar

creamy peanut butter

HOW TO MAKE POTATO CANDY:

Place the cooled mashed potatoes into a large bowl. Add the butter and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir in until combined.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, fully mixing in the first cup before adding the next. How much you use depends on how watery your mashed potato is as well as humidity, etc.

You want the consistency to be like cookie dough that you can roll out. When you put a little bit in your fingers you should be able to press and mold it together.

In this step, you have to work pretty quickly because it can dry out.

Layout a large piece of wax or parchment paper, dust it generously with powdered sugar. Place the potato mixture on the paper, add a generous amount of powdered sugar on top.

Roll it out to ¼ inch thick.

Try to get this into a rectangle shape as well as you can.

Smear the peanut butter all over the top leaving a half-inch border.

Tightly roll into a long log.

Place on a piece of plastic wrap and roll the log up and tuck the ends under. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.

Unwrap on a cutting board and cut into ¼-½ inch slices to serve.

july, let your warmth thaw whatever is left of our winters. let our windows break themselves open to inhale the sea. let afternoon naps, and outdoor showers, and books we can’t put down, make us forget about mondays. about schedules. about heaviness. let our dinners be late, and long, and filled with belly laughter. let sea shells be our telephones. let this long light never end.

– prayers for july

Emory Hall

ABOUT MCLENNAN DESIGN

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.

ABOUT JASON F. MCLENNAN

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.