Jason McLennan, an architect internationally renowned for his ideas on green design, will receive an honorary doctorate from Laurentian University during the Sudbury school’s fall convocation next month.
McLennan, who was born and raised in Sudbury but is currently based out of Bainbridge Island, Wash., just outside of Seattle, is the chief sustainability officer of the global design firm Perkins&Will, and the founder of McLennan Design.
He’s best known for developing the Living Building Challenge, a philosophy and certification process used worldwide that prioritizes regenerative building — using design and construction methods that do less harm to the environment and instead provide a benefit.
For his efforts, McLennan has received industry accolades including the Buckminster Fuller Prize, the ENR National Award of Excellence, and the Ashoka Fellowship.
Through his career, he’s maintained ties with his home community.
In 2019, he was the guest lecturer at the McEwen School of Architecture, where he shared his knowledge with aspiring architects through a series of talks and workshops about sustainable design.
He’s also weighed in on design issues of local interest, including repurposing Vale’s now-defunct Superstack as a source of solar-generated power and championing the downtown core as the preferred location for the city’s much-maligned arena project.
McLennan will attend the Nov. 2 convocation ceremony in person to receive an honorary doctorate of architecture.
The event will be livestreamed via YouTube and will be available at laurentian.ca.
