Muscoe Burnett (Skip) Martin Jr., an architect whose career in sustainable design began long before the term ‘green architecture’ became part of the vernacular, died of cancer at home in Philadelphia on December 28. He was 59 years old.
Mr. Martin earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Princeton in 1978, and his MA in architecture from Penn in 1985.
His career in sustainable design and architecture began with his work in solar design in California. In Philadelphia he was an associate at Jacobs/Wyper; Wallace Roberts and Todd and as a partner at Susan Maxman & Partners. In 2006, he then founded his own firm, M2 Architecture which was involved with the design for athe Arboretum’s Horticulture Center (Almanac November 23, 2010).
He had taught courses in ecological architecture and environmental systems at Penn’s School of Design for many years and inspired his students to build green. Professionally, he worked tirelessly to spread the word about sustainable design. He chaired the AIA Committee on the Environment and served on the Board of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. Subsequently, he was a board member for the national US Green Building Council, where he also chaired numerous committees. He helped to establish the principles of LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) for USGBC and taught LEED certification workshops all over the country.
In his own practice he achieved LEED’s highest certification—platinum—for the recently completed Stroud Water Research Center, in Chester County. He was inducted in 2013 as a USBGC LEED fellow, the organization’s highest honor.
Mr. Martin is survived by his wife, Jennifer Pinto-Martin, executive director of Penn’s Center for Public Health Initiatives and professor at Penn Nursing; three daughters and one son: Emily, Nora, Charlotte and Muscoe III (Jack); his mother, Ella Rena Chapman; his stepfather, James O’Bannon; his brother, Wellesley Chapman; and two stepsiblings, Ted and Lynn Chapman.
Donations may be sent to Breakthrough Bike Challenge, 14 West Highland Ave., Philadelphia, PA. 19118. This non-profit was formed by his friends and family to raise funds devoted to brain cancer and lymphoma research and patient care. The BBC’s inaugural ride was pedaled last May and will occur annually. |