William McDonough speaks at Campbell Hall on Cradle to Cradle

Last night at Campbell Hall, William McDonough spoke on Cradle to Cradle / Remaking The Way We Make Things. I'll be honest and say I arrived 30 minutes into his talk. But from the time I arrived and grabbed a seat in the packed hall, I couldn't help but be inspired. McDonough was born in Tokyo and has lived in many parts of the world. Per UCSB's Arts and Lectures, McDonough is an internationally renowned architect and Time magazine “Hero for the Planet." He is recognized as one of the leading proponents of practicing ecologically, socially, and economically intelligent architecture and planning in the U.S. and abroad. He is also a recipient of the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development--the nation's highest environmental honor—for his groundbreaking efforts in designing profitable and environmentally intelligent solutions for client companies around the world.

He asked the questions, "How do we love all the children of all species for all time?" and "What is our intention as a species?" His answer to the questions is truly 'changing the design of the world.'

The projects he has created are so exciting to see. You can view some of what he discussed at www.mcdonoughpartners.com. He went through a slideshow and gave us pieces of information on the projects and the thought/intention behind them. He trashes all patterns of thinking we have seen before and creates buildings that have changed the codes .. buildings that are so cost effective, beautiful, natural, nutrient-filled, and intelligent - it would blow your mind (or that's what happened to me, anyway). New designs for air conditioning, buildings that become energy exporters, rather than energy importers, grass and food growing on rooftops, and building with a mind for the future.

One thought process I found particularly interesting is that through this new design process, we will want to shorten a product's life cycle and this will actually begin to make sense. For example, take a 5-year car. We won't want that car to last for 30 years. A car would be built to last 5-6 years and then be recycled into something else. We will be improving so quickly that we will want the old models to be turned in and created into even better cars. In a whole new way, we will celebrate change and consumption. This stimulates jobs and innovation. It won't be recycling but upcycling. So .. does this mean I will be able to shop with out guilt? Coming soon...

I don't know about you, but I think we need more McDonoughs in the world, and I plan to buy & read his book very soon.