Michael McDonough

Awards

• Austin Chapter/American Institute of Architects Design Award; Austin, Texas Chapter/American Institute of Architects, 1997
• IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Award for Environmental Strategies; Industrial Design Society of America, 1997
• The Design 100 Award; Metropolitan Home Magazine, 1992
• New Urban Housing Competition, Selected Entry; The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 1992
• Design Explorations 2001 Award; Metropolis, Parsons School of Design and Sony Corporation, 1991
• New York Chapter/American Institute of Architects Design Award; New York Chapter/American Institute of Architects, 1990
• ID Annual Designer's Choice Award; International Design, 1989
• Italia's Cup Competition, Special Mention; Triennale of Milan, 1988-1989
• Young Architects Series Competition Award; Architectural League of New York, 1981
• Boston Society of Architects Chapter Award; Boston Architectural Center, 1974
• Departmental Prize in English Literature; University of Massachusetts, 1974

Recommended reading

• Biophilia by Edward O. Wilson (1986);
• From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe (1999);
• Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Robert Venturi (1966);
• Five California Architects by Esther McCoy (1975);
• Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain (first published 1936);
• The Gospel of Saint Thomas, and the poetry of Wallace Stevens.

Q&A

What started you on the path toward sustainability?

I was actively involved in the environmental art and experimental architecture movement in New York City in the 1970s, collaborating with artists and creating projects of my own. Environmental issues in this context were seen as raw material for artistic expression, and I am still as interested in the poetic possibilities of nature and natural processes in architecture and engineering.

Who inspired you, or nurtured your talent?

I was privileged to study at wonderful schools - University of Massachusetts, MIT, and University of Pennsylvania - but my education has continued throughout my career. Living in New York City, traveling extensively, and working internationally have comprised an ongoing "open university" experience. Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour, James Wines, Tom Wolfe, and Linda Garland were (and are) friends and important influences. I have always admired Ester McCoy's writing on architecture.

What gives you hope in your industry?

The growing awareness of the importance of sustainability in architecture, and the energy and talent of students and young architects give me hope.

What worries you most in this area?

The realities of the marketplace that render green and sustainable building a small fraction of a fraction of actual buildings built; the perception that green and sustainable buildings are only important as symbols.

What advice do you give to young people who want to make a difference in the world?

Make sure that you love what you do; realize that mass culture is often initially resistive to innovation, change, and excellence; dig in and fight the good long fight.

What is the role of technology in sustainable design?

They are inextricably interwoven. All modern buildings have a degree of technological complexity, and we put far more effectively complex technology in our cars than we do in most of our buildings. This has to change. Technology is a reality of our times, a management tool, and a resource. Eastern thought holds that nature and technology are one; this is how I design.