William McDonough, an internationally renowned designer, will presentCradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Thingsat 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, in the assembly room at West Virginia University’s National Research Center for Coal and Energy. The lecture, sponsored by the WVU Research Office, is free and open to the public.

One of the primary proponents and shapers of what some callThe Next Industrial Revolution, McDonough is known for his approach to design and commerce incorporating concern for economic prosperity, social equity and environmental intelligence.

WVU has had a long interest in designing for the environment,said John Weete, vice president of research and economic development. With the support of Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., and funding through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), WVU has teamed with the Polymer Alliance Zone (PAZ) headquarters in Parkersburg to create MARCEE : Mid-Atlantic Recycling Center for End-of-Life Electronics. MARCEE ’s goal is to be the first to develop an economical way to recover and recycle for reuse plastics from end-of-life electronics such as computers. McDonough’s firm will be providing consulting services for the project.

We are fortunate that through our relationship with PAZ and NETL , we are able to have someone of Bill McDonough’s international stature join us on this project and share his insights with the broader community,Weete said.

McDonough is the founding principal of William McDonough + Partners, Architecture and Community Design.

His designs range in scale from molecules to regions, from the environmental optimization of product chemical compositions to community plans that restore native habitat and hydrology while spurring economic development. Ford Motor Company and IMB are among his clients.

With his business partner Michael Braungart, McDonough co-authored Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The book itself is printed on plastic resins and inorganic fillers instead of paper.

Formerly dean of architecture at the University of Virginia, McDonough holds professorships at the UVA ’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and at Cornell University. He is also the U.S. chairman and member of the Board of Councilors of the China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development.