Malcolm Wells, Pioneer of Green Architecture, Dies at 83

In the obituary he wrote himself, Malcolm “Mac” Wells described himself as “an atheist, a Democrat, a skinny old bearded guy, and the owner, with [wife] Karen, of the Underground Art Gallery” in Cape Cod. He also mentioned that he didn’t have a date until his senior year of high school and had never touched a computer or cell phone. Wells, who died on November 27 of congestive heart failure, didn’t get around to mentioning that he was designing environmentally friendly buildings (green roofs, solar power) nearly 50 years before LEED certification became as desirable as granite countertops or stainless steel appliances.