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Unlocking Your World of Creativity

Kevin Kennon, Architect and CEO of Beyond Zero DDC Inc.,

Unlocking Your World of Creativity

Mark Stinson

Arts, Education, Self-improvement, Business, Design, Marketing

51.3K Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome back to Your World of Creativity, the show where we explore inspiration and innovation across the globe. Today we’re diving into a topic at the intersection of design, sustainability, and creativity with our guest, Kevin Kennon, an internationally recognized architect with over 40 years of experience. He’s the CEO of Beyond Zero DDC Inc., a visionary firm developing zero-carbon emission luxury wilderness resorts in remote locations around the world.

Kevin's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkennonarchitect/

Kevin 's Website

Kevin 's Facebook page

@pkk2418 on Instagram

Here's an outline of our discussion:

1: ORIGINS OF DESIGN THINKING

  •  “Kevin, take us back to the beginning. What sparked your passion for architecture, and how did your early work shape your current focus on sustainability?”
  • “When did you first begin to integrate sustainability into your design process?”

2: SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

  •  “Your firm, Beyond Zero DDC Inc., focuses on zero-carbon emission resorts. What inspired this concept of sustainable luxury?”
  • “What are the biggest challenges when building in remote wilderness areas—and how does your team overcome them creatively?”
  • “How do you balance aesthetic excellence with environmental responsibility?”

3: IMPACT ON URBAN PLANNING

  •  “A 2019 UN report said cities contribute 70% of global carbon emissions. In your opinion, what role does creative urban planning play in reversing this trend?”
  • “How can architects, developers, and city planners collaborate better to create truly sustainable cities?”
  •  “We recently spoke with architect Joana Sa Lima in Oslo, who told us that good design can make cities more livable. How do you approach livability in your urban work?”
  • “Another previous guest, Dr. Esther Sternberg, author of WELL AT WORK, discussed how architecture affects our health. How do you see design impacting physical and mental well-being?”

4: ICONIC PROJECTS & LESSONS

  •  “Tell us about one of your most memorable projects—perhaps Barclays or the Rodin Museum—and what you learned from it.”
  • “You were part of United Architects, a finalist in the World Trade Center design competition. What was that experience like, and how did it shape your thinking about architecture’s cultural impact?”

5: WHAT’S NEXT IN SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE?

  •  “What innovations are on the horizon in sustainable architecture?”
  • “Are there any emerging materials, technologies, or design philosophies you’re excited about?”

Sponsor:

  • Before we go, a big thanks to our sponsor White Cloud Coffee Roasters. Get 10% off your order with the code CREATIVITY at checkout. Visit WhiteCloudCoffee.com.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review Your World of Creativity on your favorite podcast app.

Join us again next time as we continue to explore the creative journeys of the world’s most innovative minds.

Kevin Kennon is an internationally renowned architect with over 40 years of experience, specializing in environmentally sustainable and innovative design. As the founder and CEO of Beyond Zero DDC Inc., Kevin leads the development of zero-carbon emission luxury eco-resorts in remote...

Transcript

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0:00.0

Unlocking your world of creativity with best-selling author and brand innovator Mark Stinson.

0:09.0

This episode is brought to you by White Cloud Coffee Loasters, where every bean tells a story of adventure.

0:15.0

Visit white cloud coffee.com and use the code creativity.

0:20.0

Welcome back, friends, to our podcast, Your World of Creativity, where we explore inspiration

0:26.4

and innovation with creative practitioners around the globe.

0:30.5

I'm Mark Stenson, and today we're diving into a topic at the intersection of design and

0:36.3

sustainability and creativity.

0:38.9

Well, I'm so glad to have as my guest, Kevin Kenan.

0:42.4

Kevin, welcome to the show.

0:44.6

Thank you, Mark.

0:45.8

Pleasure to be here.

0:46.6

Kevin is an internationally recognized architect with over 40 years' experience,

0:51.2

but now he's, what could I say, pivoting.

0:53.4

He's moving into a new area with a

0:55.8

company beyond zero. It's really a visionary firm. It's developing zero carbon emission emission.

1:02.9

Luxury wilderness resorts. Boy, there's a lot to define in those terms, I'm sure,

1:08.4

luxury wilderness resorts. But they're in remote locations.

1:12.6

He's building from a portfolio of architecture with museums and retail stores and worldwide

1:19.0

headquarters of many kinds. Kevin, let's start back at the beginning and what sparked your

1:25.1

passion for this design architecture and how it's shaping what you're

1:29.1

working on now in sustainability and that kind of side of the creative process. I like to start

1:35.1

some of these talks by just tackling the word sustainability because I feel like at this point

...

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