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 around the planet. He is 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, a “World Changer” by GreenBiz magazine and has been selected as the Award of Excellence winner for Engineering News Record – one of the only individuals in the architecture profession to have won the award in its 52-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, which is sweeping the globe. He is the author of seven books on Sustainability and Design – used by thousands of practitioners each year, including the Philosophy of Sustainable Design, which is considered the ‘bible’ for green building’ – and is both an Ashoka Fellow and Senior Fellow of the Design Future’s Council. He has been selected by Yes! Magazine as one of ‘15 people shaping the world’ and works closely with world leaders, Fortune 500 companies, leading NGO’s, major universities, celebrities and influential development companies –all in the pursuit of a world that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. He is the founder, former CEO, and immediate past chair on the board of directors for International Living Future Institute and is the CEO of McLennan Design – his own architectural and planning practice designing some of the world’s most advanced green buildings. McLennan’s work has been published in dozens of journals, magazines, and newspapers around the world.

Selected Press

mother nature network: “The Living Building Challenge confronts us with a profound question”, July 6, 2018
Westsound Home & Garden: “How One of the World’s Greenest Homes Came to Be”, July 5, 2019
WHIOTV7: “Antioch College wants to create a unique cottage-filled village in Yellow Springs”, Saturday, June 16, 2018 @ 2:47 PM
healthcare design: “Show Stoppers: 2017 Nightingale Awards Introduction”, February 12, 2018
interiors+sources: “Jason F. McLennan: The Best Kind of Troublemaker”, 2/7/2018
Inhabitat: “This gorgeous ‘Tree House Tower’ was built using repurposed timber and old ship materials”. August 29, 2017
The Seattle Times/Pacific NW Magazine: “Heron Hall: one of the greenest buildings ever, and home”, Originally published May 11, 2017 at 7:00 am Updated May
The Seattle Times/Pacific NW Magazine: The School of Regenerative Design will teach what McLennan Design preaches”, Originally published May 11, 2017 at 7:00
Forbes Magazine: “How Changing Our Built Environment Can Save The Planet”, January 13, 2017
gb&d: On the Spot: Jason F. McLennan, 2017
Grist: “5 awesome design tweaks that help the planet”, September 15, 2016
Architectural Record: “Interview with Living Building Challenge Creator Jason F. McLennan” April 2016
CleanTeach Alliance: “Our Living Future: A Q&A with Jason F. McLennan”, January 1, 2016
Conscious Company Media: “Jason McLennan is Green Building’s Resident Troublemaker. From Designing A Resort for Leonardo DiCaprio to Developing the Living Buildings Challenge, The CEO of The Living Future Institute is Rethinking What Green Building Means”, October 4, 2015
Daily Journal of Commerce: “Jason McLennan starts firm to do cutting-edge projects” September 2015
TEDX Bend: “Living Buildings for a Living Future”, Published May 26, 2015
Archinect News: “Jason F. McLennan selected to design Leonardo DiCaprio’s restorative eco-resort”, April 15, 2015
Metropolis: “The High Ideals of the Living Building Challenge”, September 5/2/14
Bioneeers: “Disruptive Design: What Good Looks Like | Cheryl Dahle and Jason F. McLennan” 2014
NJ.com – The Messenger-Gazette: “Willow School to build one of ‘greenest’ buildings in the world” April 18, 2013
OPB: “Seattle’s Bullitt Center: Ready To Debut As World’s Greenest Office Building” April 18, 2013
NorthWest Public Radio: “Seattle’s Bullitt Center: Ready To Debut As World’s Greenest Office Building” April 18, 2013
Green Building News: “Bullitt Center Meets Living Building Challenge” April 17, 2013
NBC News Blog: “Earth Day founder’s ‘living’ building signals new era of sleek sustainability” April 22, 2013
NPR: “This Building Is Supergreen. Will It Be Copied?” April 22, 2013
Gizmodo: “One of the World’s Greenest Commercial Buildings Opens Today” April 22, 2013
Design Build: “Seattle Elementary School Meets the Living Building Challenge” April 23, 2013
Smart Planet: “‘World’s greenest office building’ now open” April 24, 2013
Business Week: “Google’s New Campus Has Light, Fresh Air, Low Power Use” April 23, 2013
National Catholic Reporter: “Seattle University to monitor ‘world’s greenest commercial building’” April 23, 2013
Climate Solutions Blog: “Guest blog: How a living building helped our business grow” April 22, 2013
Epoch Times: “World’s Greenest Office Building Unveiled” April 24, 2013
YouTube – Monarch School: “Tend Building | Living Building Challenge 2013″ April 21, 2013
Mother Nature Network: “This year’s Earth Day leftovers” April 26, 2013
ComputerWorld: “Climate change pushes some companies to go green” April 29, 2013
The New York Times: “A Building Not Just Green, but Practically Self-Sustaining” April 2, 2013
Sustainable Business Oregon: “Google exec named to Living Building group’s board” April 23, 2013
CBS News: “Green building takes hold, but wasted energy abounds” April 18, 2013
Huffington Post: “Phipps New Center For Sustainable Landscapes Is One Of World’s Greenest Buildings (VIDEO)” April 8, 2013
Popular Mechanics: “How to Build a Greener Office Building” April 10, 2013
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “New building in Phipps Conservatory is greenest of its kind” May 24, 2012
Vegetarian Times Blog: “Greenest Office Building in the World Opens for Earth Day” April 22, 2013
National Geographic: “Earth Day Pictures: Extreme Green Buildings” April 21, 2013
Daily Journal of Commerce – Oregon: “Q&A: Cascadia CEO on green building” May 10, 2010
Arcade Magazine: “Water 2.0 Aquatic Dysfunctions” Winter 2009
Seattle Magazine: “Most Influential: Jason McLennan” November, 2009
Metropolis: “Radical Green” October, 2009
The Seattle Times: “Jason McLennan is setting the pace to create the greenest building ever” May 31, 2009
The Living Shelter Cafe: “Building a Living Future with Jason McLennan” March 31, 2009
Dwell Magazine: “Throne Off Course” July/August, 2008