William McDonough

William McDonough was characterized in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio as “the mastermind of sustainable design.” Time magazine recognized him in 1999 as a “Hero for the Planet,” stating that “his utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that—in demonstrable and practical ways—is changing the design of the world,” and in 2019 Fortune magazine named him one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders at number 24. As an architect, McDonough’s interests and influence range widely, and he works at scales from the global to the molecular. A highly respected public speaker, he has addressed audiences worldwide on design as the first signal of human intention, everywhere and at all scales.