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He has written and lectured extensively on design as the first signal of human intention. He was commissioned in 1991 to write The Hannover Principles: Design for Sustainability as guidelines for the City of Hannover's EXPO 2000, still recognized two decades after publication as a touchstone of sustainable design. In 2002, McDonough and the German chemist Dr. Michael Braungart co-authored Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, which is widely acknowledged as a seminal text of the sustainability movement.
McDonough advises major enterprises including commercial and governmental leaders worldwide through McDonough Advisors. He also is active with William McDonough + Partners, his architecture practice with offices in Charlottesville, VA, and San Francisco, CA, as well as McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, the Cradle to Cradle consulting firm co-founded with Braungart. He has co-founded, with Braungart, not for profit organizations to allow public accessibility to Cradle to Cradle thinking. These include GreenBlue (2000), to convene industry groups around Cradle to Cradle issues, and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (2009), founded at the invitation of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to create a global standard for the development of safe and healthy products. He and Braungart contributed the Cradle to Cradle certification program to the Institute. McDonough also co-founded Make It Right (2006) with Brad Pitt to bring affordable Cradle to Cradle-inspired homes to the New Orleans Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina.
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As the founding member of the San Francisco studio, David is an accomplished designer who has demonstrated exceptional leadership during his three-decade career. He has directed teams from concept design through client occupancy on an array of technically challenging and programmatically intricate projects in the U.S. and abroad. David’s portfolio includes planning, interiors, sustainability consulting and architectural design for a range of large-scale international urban planning projects and commercial and institutional buildings. David speaks frequently about Cradle to Cradle and architecture; some recent engagements include speaking at the USGBC’s Greenbuild in Toronto (November 2011); AASHE Conference in Pittsburgh (November 2011); The World Green Building Council’s International Congress in Singapore (September 2010).
Key Projects: UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, Recology, Treasure Island, PG&E Sustainable Cities
Directors
Michelle’s project experience is international in scope and covers a wide range of project scales and types, from building design to conceptual frameworks. Her talent for critical inquiry is complemented by outstanding communication and project management skills, enabling her to clearly explain complex theoretical concepts and to successfully realize Cradle to Cradle design principles in built form. Michelle’s current project is the Richard H. Poff Federal Building Modernization.
Key Projects: NASA Sustainability Base, Fuller Theological Seminary David Allan Hubbard Library and Worship Center, Almere Principles, IJburg, Real Estate Design Guidelines, Sustainable Facility Guidelines
John is an award-winning designer who relishes working on large, complex programs and master planning projects to achieve a swift and effective design resolution. His unique combination of talents has played a crucial role in shaping the firm's transformation of land-planning and development processes. John has been with the firm since 1994 and has contributed to the design of several of the firm’s groundbreaking designs. He is currently leading the design for the Ferrer Research and Development Building in Spain.
Key Projects: Park 20|20, Ecourban 22, Nike European Headquarters, 901 Cherry Offices, IBM Corporate Offices Riekerpolder, Eco-Effective Distribution Center, Office Tower of the Future
Kathy is the director of WM+P’s residential studio and has had a significant role in a number of the firm’s single family and mixed use residential projects. Her experience in successfully delivering full architectural services, including construction administration, complements her in-depth knowledge of materials and love of the crafted detail. With 13 years at William McDonough + Partners, Kathy draws on her deep knowledge of Cradle to Cradle principles with the design of safe and healthy living spaces inspired by natural systems. Kathy oversees the firm’s pro-bono effort for the Make It Right project in New Orleans and is currently leading the design of a private home in northern California.
Key Projects: Make It Right, American University School of International Service, Sarah Heinz House, Charlotte Residence, Cave Avenue Homes.
Alastair has practiced architecture in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles for over 15 years. He has extensive project management experience in retail and residential design, as well as commercial base building and interior architecture. Since joining William McDonough + Partners in 2004, Alastair has led several key projects in the Bay Area and in The Netherlands. Alastair is a licensed general contractor and co-owned a design build firm prior to joining WM+P. This knowledge of construction practices and pricing adds a valuable practical perspective to his strong design leadership.
Key Projects: Park 20|20, NASA Sustainability Base, VMware Corporate Campus
Roger has more than 20 years of experience working with a variety of corporate, institutional, and academic clients. Since joining William McDonough + Partners in 1994, Roger has completed projects for Herman Miller, Frito-Lay, and most of the firm’s engagements with Ford Motor Company at the historic Ford Rouge Center industrial complex. A strong project manager with a deep understanding of Cradle to Cradle, Roger uses his extensive technical knowledge and command of the latest research to lead project teams toward innovative and practical design solutions.
Key Projects: Ferrer Grupo, Eco-Effective Airport Study, National Museum of Science & Industry National Collections Centre, Ford Rouge Center Revitalization, Herman Miller, Frito-Lay
Architectural Staff
José Atienza is an award-winning designer with over 14 years of professional experience in the design and realization of diverse environments and architectural typologies at multiple scales. His ability to lead teams towards materializing primary concepts into unique solutions that embody project goals while integrating site, form, and systems has led to successful collaborations with both clients and consultants. In addition to leading the design of multiple architectural projects at WM+P, José also directs the design of products and objects as Director of McDonough Design. As a lecturer in architecture at the University Of Virginia School Of Architecture, José teaches design studios and speaks, researches, and writes on issues of modularity, prefabrication, collaborative environments, and sustainability.
Key Projects: Catalina Island Strategic Masterplan, multiple architectural projects at Park 20l20 in the Netherlands, Make It Right 'Flow House,' Richard H. Poff Federal Building, Greenbridge, Isola Office Building
Tim Gordon has experience on a range of project types and scales, including institutional, planning, corporate and industrial. He has been an integral team member on projects including the architecture, sustainable design elements at Google’s main campus in Mountain View, California; Isola office building in Milan, Italy and the UCSF Medical Center at Mission. Tim’s current projects include a private residence in Northern California and Recology Corporate Headquarters Master Plan in San Francisco, California.
Alex’s experience brackets both ends of the building design industry and includes a wide range of project scales and types. He joined the firm in 2007 with a background in design/build construction; and has since worked on affordable housing designs for the Make it Right Foundation in New Orleans, the award-winning NASA Sustainability Base in California, and multiple projects at the Cradle to Cradle Inspired Park 20|20 in The Netherlands. Alex is a recurring guest critic at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and at Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design.
Key Projects: NASA Sustainability Base, Make It Right 'Flow House,' and B/S/H Inspiration House and FOX Vakanties at Park 20|20
Gavin is an energetic young designer who has greatly contributed to William McDonough + Partner’s design team. He brings significant technical and design expertise in digital building modeling and visualization to the team and thrives on engaging with complex systems and responsive designs. Gavin is particularly interested how local climate and culture combine with long-term systemic thinking to produce unique architectural solutions.
Key Projects: Catalina Island Strategic Master Plan, Rocology Corporate Headquarters Master Plan, Ferrer Research and Development Center, and multiple projects at Park 20|20
A native of Ecuador, Andres’ background working on projects where innovations in non-traditional and vernacular construction materials were typical taught him to value simplicity in design and economy in material. Since joining William McDonough + Partners, he has been involved in the design process identifying and employing eco-effective design strategies for projects across the globe. His designs are attuned to energy flows and to the surrounding terrain to help foster a sense of connectedness between inhabitants and community, as well as between the community and the natural world.
Key Projects: Ferrer Research and Development Center, Recology Headquarters Master Plan, Industrial and Admin Facility in China, B/S/H Inspiration House at Park 20|20, Industrial and Admin Facility in Romania, VMWare Corporate Campus
Marketing Staff
With a background in sustainable interior architecture, Katie has provided marketing and business development services in the design build industry for more than 10 years. She has prepared and presented programs about green building and developed curriculum for a LEED for Commercial Interiors college course. In addition to managing marketing and business development efforts for the firm, Katie provides graphics support on select projects, and assists Mr. McDonough in the preparation of presentations for audiences across the globe.
Writer Kira Gould, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is director of communications for William McDonough + Partners, and works from the firm’s San Francisco studio. Kira is co-author, with Lance Hosey, of Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design (Ecotone Publishing). She writes for Sustainable Industries, Metropolis magazine, and other publications.