San Francisco–based design and policy consultancy Urban Fabrick announced yesterday that founding principal and thought leader in sustainability and green design William J. Worthen, FAIA, died unexpectedly following a heart attack on Jan. 28. “This comes as a shock to all of us. We take some comfort in knowing that Bill left us a legacy of global leadership and innovation in the green building, architecture, and broader sustainability community,” the firm published in a statement on their website. “Urban Fabrick’s co-founder, Kyle Pickett, and the entire Urban Fabrick community are dedicated to continuing Bill’s global impact.”
Worthen received a B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During his 20-year career, he served as the AIA national director and resource architect for sustainability where he spearheaded the development of the AIA Energy Modeling Practice Guide. He also served on San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s Green Building Task Force that resulted in the Green Building Ordinance, winner of the 2011 World Green Building Council Government Leadership Award. Worthen has written ARCHITECT in the past.
Founded in 2005, Urban Fabrick has achieved LEED Gold and LEED Platinum certifications for more than 55 projects.
