Lance Hosey (September 11, 1964 - August 27, 2021) loved breakfast. He also loved ranked lists; clowning around (but not clowns); music, particularly jazz and Motown; B-rated movies; coffee; ridiculous signage and absurd corporate catchphrases; walking on the beach; imagining himself as cultural icons (including Mr. Clean, Mr. Peanut, Santa, Abraham Lincoln and Little Lord Fauntleroy); a good cocktail, especially Bloody Marys (especially with bacon); robust debate; hanging out with friends (the more the merrier); good (and bad) puns; beauty (he wrote a book on it); and his hilarious family. Things that drove him insane included 1) inconsistency, b) bad grammar, C) mean people, 3) two spaces after a period, f) qualifiers to the word "unique," and 9) the Oxford comma.
As an acclaimed architect, author, advocate and public speaker, Lance focused on new ways to advance the impact of design. He studied architecture at Columbia University (bachelor's degree) and then Yale (master's degree). For nearly a decade he was a Director with William McDonough + Partners and later served as Chief Sustainability Officer with two of the world’s largest design firms. Most recently he was HMC Architects' Chief Impact Officer and Civic Practice Leader. The recipient of numerous professional awards and fellowships, Lance became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2014; this honor recognizes those “who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society.” The next year, he was named a LEED Fellow by the US Green Building Council, one of only 30 people in the world to receive both honors. Eco-pioneer John Elkington called Lance “an inspirational guide to a future we can't wait to embrace,” and Builder magazine said Lance was "on a crusade to revolutionize what it means to be sustainable.”
His influence on the profession went far beyond his built work. A prolific writer, he was the author of hundreds of articles and several books, including most recently The Shape of Green: Aesthetics, Ecology and Design (2012), which studied the relationships between beauty and sustainability (and made the top of a number of ranked lists, which pleased him). He served on numerous boards, working groups and juries; he taught at Yale and the University of Virginia, among other universities. In all these capacities, he was focused on propelling the architecture, engineering and construction industry forward on a broad, unified understanding of design that includes sustainability, equity and health. He was a key voice in shaping the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE)’s Measures of Sustainable Design, which became the AIA's Framework for Design Excellence.
Nadav Malin, a peer leader in the industry, once described "an even rarer quality to [Lance's] leadership: a willingness to put himself on the line and do the unexpected…he is unafraid to look foolish or face rejection, which allows him a special freedom and power to act and make things happen. It also makes him highly approachable -- even endearing -- despite his sometimes intimidating intellect, which further increases his effectiveness as a leader." Those qualities, combined with his love of people and his dedication to raising up the next generation, especially women, made him an amazing mentor to many: inspirational, supportive, insightful and genuine.
Anyone who spent any amount of time with Lance knew how much music fed his soul. Born and raised in Houston, he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as a jazz saxophonist, an experience that cemented both life-long friendships and his love of performing. While he continued to play the sax, and would occasionally sit in on jazz sets, in later years the piano became his instrument of choice. He could sit down at a piano any time of day and transport listeners to the Blue Note on a Saturday night. When not playing, he enjoyed his exhaustive record library of well known (and unknown) artists from a wide range of periods (with a concentration on jazz, Motown and funk). His internal soundtrack would often reveal itself as he burst into song during the day, instigating impromptu sing-alongs anchored by his rich baritone.
He is survived by his wife and soulmate, Kate Higgins Hosey of San Diego; his brothers Kevin (wife Terrelia) of Lewisville, TX, and Terry Hosey (wife Tiffanny) of Plano, TX; nephews Christian and Sean Hosey; nieces Kimberly and Morgan Hosey; and an enormous collection of close friends, colleagues and admirers.
Lance never failed to amuse, entertain, challenge and uplift us. He will be widely and deeply missed by the many who cherish his memory.
In August 2023, the Lance Hosey Scholarship Fund To Make Things Better was established at Columbia University GSAPP. We invite you to support the endowment, which will be used to support students working at the intersection of design and sustainability, his life’s work.
Tributes to Lance can be viewed here.