Lina Menard

Project Manager

(she/her)

Lina Menard is a people watcher, an explorer, a collaborator, and a dreamer who loves hands-on projects. She followed up her undergraduate degree in sociology, anthropology, and gender studies at Whitman College with exploration of natural building and energy-efficient renovation. Over the past 15 years, she has worn multiple hats within the design-build world: project manager, designer, operations manager, project engineer, sustainability coordinator, consultant, and educator. She brings all of these experiences and perspectives to her work with clients and their projects.

While she was completing her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University, Lina also found a niche within the small house movement. Her advocacy for small, smart, sustainable development has opened doors to wonderful adventures, including speaking engagements, conference presentations, radio spots, documentary films, newspaper stories, and travel opportunities. For over a decade, Lina has taught courses about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), tiny houses, cohousing, and downsizing online, at Yestermorrow Design-Build School, and through community colleges. She's lived in several small spaces - including a yurt, a travel trailer, 4 tiny houses on wheels, and several ADUs, in addition to living out of a backpack while traveling the world.

Along the way, Lina has acquired an Urban Design Certificate and a Sustainable Design-Build Certificate, while also becoming a Sustainable Homes Professional and an ADU Specialist. When she’s not helping revolutionize the design-build industry, Lina loves thinking about how to redesign her friends' houses, going for hikes and bike rides near her home, coaxing her garden to grow more green beans, and swapping stories with friends while sipping cups of tea.