In 2022 and again in 2023, Urban A&O was awarded the most Innovative, Sustainable Architecture Firm in the USA.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY, December 21, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ — Joe MacDonald has been included in Marquis Who’s Who in America. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. MacDonald excels as one of four principals at Urban A&O Inc. where he makes significant contributions across diverse platforms related to architecture, landscape design and future-forward smart city master planning in the context of climate risks and climate opportunities, driving all their work to net zero building and planning solutions, through innovative material science applications. He is also a designated net zero carbon strategist and the acting chief energy and sustainability officer responsible for leading the strategic vision of the studio since its founding in 2004 and for supervising a high-performing assembly of associates. Ultimately, Mr. MacDonald provides comprehensive guidance and inspiration, resulting in numerous notable successes. In 2022 and again in 2023, Urban A&O was awarded the most Innovative, Sustainable Architecture Firm in the USA.
Distinguished academic credentials underpin Mr. MacDonald’s presence in the field and include a Bachelor of Architecture in environmental design from the University of Washington and an advanced placement Master of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Mr. MacDonald also earned a diploma in architectural studies from the Architectural Association and is a designated registered architect with the Royal Architectural Association of Canada.
A commitment to inspired mentorship further defines Mr. MacDonald’s profiles, and he thrived while teaching at the rank of visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia from 2017 to 2021. Mr. MacDonald also served as an esteemed faculty member at Harvard University Graduate School of Design where he was appointed an associate professor from 2000 through 2009 and mentored an unprecedented five Kelly Prize Thesis winners during his tenure.
Mr. MacDonald has earned many accolades for his work thus far, including the new Practices Highest Achievement Award from the New York Chapter of the AIA as well as Architecture Magazine’s Vanguard Award as having one of the top ten emerging practices from around the world in 2008. In 2009, he delivered the first LEED Double Platinum Museum and a LEED Gold in Beijing, as well as the International Design Excellence Silver Award for Environments from IDEA, and in 2020, Mr. MacDonald was honored with the OPAL Platinum Award – Property Development, Environmental, Sustainable Environments from the Farmani Group.
Additionally, the Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade presented Mr. MacDonald with a Global Sustainability Award in 2022, while BUILD Magazine named his Project Energos the Best Industrial/Commercial Development Design (USA). He was further honored with both Best SDG Impact, Global, and Best SDG 11: Making Cities Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable from CorpStage, Bangkok, in 2023.
An extensive and varied network forms the critical foundation for Mr. MacDonald’s work, and he is consistently active in civic service. He was recognized as a fellow of the Institute for Urban Design and is a Storefront Circle Member with Storefront for Art and Architecture. Mr. MacDonald also sustains membership in the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the National Accreditation Board of Architects, and he is a founding member of the Dia Beacon Art Gallery and consistently offers financial support to GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders.
Mr. MacDonald credits curiosity and tenacity as the foundation of his success, and he prides himself on achieving a balance between distinctiveness and progressiveness in each project. Looking toward the future, he remains committed to the productive interaction with clients to determine the appropriate deployment of emerging sustainable materials as Urban A&O catapults its award-winning work onto the global stage. He will also continually expand and build new portfolios, and Mr. MacDonald plans to accept invitations from all over the world to engage in meaningful conversations in the context of climate change, sustainability, decarbonization and artificial intelligence.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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