In Memory Of Malcolm Lewis

Malcolm Lewis, a great friend and Cadmus colleague and the founder of Constructive Technologies Group, Inc. (CTG), passed away Saturday, October 13, at the age of 66. Malcolm was an absolute giant in the field of green and high performance building, a highly respected colleague, and a successful businessman. He was also a much-loved mentor to and advocate for those who joined him as part of CTG’s family or who benefitted from his many other business and philanthropic activities. We were lucky to have him as part of the Cadmus family for the past 10 months and we are equally fortunate that he chose to entrust his firm to us when we decided to merge Cadmus and CTG.

Malcolm’s professional accomplishments are remarkable and leave a legacy of constant innovation on the path to energy and environmental sustainability. He was an internationally recognized and celebrated expert in the design and operation of energy efficient buildings. He had specialized expertise in the introduction of innovative building technologies and design processes and dedicated over 30 years of his life to making buildings better. He was the engineer of record for hundreds of new construction and renovation projects, for both public and private sector facilities, totaling over 25 million square feet.

Malcolm helped pioneer and test the application of numerous high performance building technologies, including thermal energy storage, combined heat & power (cogen) plants, displacement ventilation, and advanced lighting systems.  His past project work included such diverse technologies as fuel cells, active and passive solar heating and cooling, wind power, photovoltaic power, and under-floor air distribution.

In addition to his work with private and commercial clients, Malcolm consulted to numerous public agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. General Services Administration, various branches of the U.S. Department of Defense, the State of California, and The World Bank. He also served as a peer reviewer for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Energy and Environment Program, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. GSA Design Excellence program.

Malcolm was heavily involved with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and he led CTG’s involvement in more than 150 LEED-certified projects. He served as a member of the national Board of Directors of USGBC from 1997-2002, as a member of the LEED Steering Committee from 2000-2012, as Chair of the LEED Technical & Scientific Advisory Committee from 2001-2009, and as the Chair of the LEED Technical Committee, 2009-2012. In 2011, Malcolm was named a LEED Fellow in the inaugural class of fellows.

Malcolm was also deeply committed to his alma mater, Harvey Mudd College, from which he graduated in 1967. He became the first alumnus elected to the HMC board of trustees in 1973 and served on the board continuously for the next 39 years. In January 2012, he was elected chair of the board, the first alumnus to serve in this position. In 2009, the HMC Alumni Association honored Malcolm with its Lifetime Recognition Award and, in September 2012, the HMC faculty awarded him an honorary degree for his impressive contributions to the fields of engineering and science, specifically to the efficient design of buildings and communities. In 2008, Malcolm and his wife, Cindy, endowed the Patton and Claire Lewis Fellowship in Engineering Professional Practice, which provides students with opportunities to be mentored by professional engineers. Cadmus, Malcolm’s last professional home, will continue to be involved with the Lewis Fellowship by providing professional internship opportunities to Lewis Fellows.

It was an absolute pleasure for me to get to know Malcolm, to become his colleague, and to become his friend. From the very beginning, I was struck by his enthusiasm, his optimism, his intellectual brilliance, and his emotional openness. One of the truly amazing things about Malcolm is that almost everyone who ever met him came away with those same impressions of him. A few days after Malcolm passed away, I was fortunate enough to share in a lunch with more than a dozen of Malcolm’s colleagues and friends from Cadmus and from earlier days at CTG. Some of these folks had known Malcolm for a few months and some had known him for decades. As people shared stories about Malcolm, one thing became clear. As intellectually brilliant as Malcolm was, he was just as brilliant about and with people. He cared deeply about the success and happiness of everyone who came into his circle, whether he’d known you for a week or a decade. And he treated everyone as if they were a good friend, because everyone was a good friend. With Malcolm, hugs were the rule, he was always ready to share his infectious smile, and he wasn’t afraid to shed a tear if something touched him or made him happy. Malcolm was a brilliant and caring man, a devoted husband and father, and a dear friend and he will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him. Cadmus was fortunate to have Malcolm as part of our family and we are a better company for it.

With much fondness and appreciation,

Ian Kline

Cadmus President and CEO