KBB - October 2009 - (Page 20)

Profile As a leader in the green design community with a solid commitment to sustainable living and design, it’s no surprise that architect Michelle Kaufmann, AIA, LEED AP, was recently honored with the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Building Award for the 2009 Advocate of the Year. Named the Henry Ford of green homes by Sierra Club Magazine in 2007, Kaufmann has been widely recognized for her prefab sustainable home designs: Glidehouse (the model in which she now lives), Sunset Breezehouse, mkSoliare and mkLotus. But Kaufmann was practicing green long before 2007. In 2002, after moving to Northern California Q&A Michelle Kaufmann, MICHELLE KAUFMANN STUDIO and finding a lack of affordable, sustainable, well-designed homes, she founded Michelle Kaufmann Designs and has since been working toward her goal of making green living accessible and achievable for all. She’s well on her way. The response to her homes has been overwhelming and Kaufmann continues to get the word out through lectures, speaking engagements, exhibitions and her book, Prefab Green, which was published earlier this year. As Kaufmann said, “Sustainability isn’t just about the way we build. It is a state of mind. Good design embodies, inspires and nurtures that way of thinking and living.” When clients come to you for a green home, what, above all, do they ask for with regard to its design? Mostly, they want it to feel great, look great, be healthy for their family and use less energy and water. Those are the basics of what I like to call the “ﬁve ecoprinciples.” What has the response to your eco-friendly prefab homes been like? The response has been absolutely overwhelming since I started the work in 2004. The idea of having thoughtfully designed sustainable homes be accessible has resonated with so many people. It is no longer a question of if people want green homes. They do. But green homes need to be accessible in terms of time and cost, and it needs to be easy. If we can make it so well-designed green homes don’t cost any more than non-green homes, don’t take any more time and are easy, then we can really make a difference. That is my goal. What is the most intriguing aspect of your job? Spending time with really smart people whom I learn from everyday— whether they be our clients, my colleagues, the factory geniuses, my husband or my friends who are working in this space. I am so thankful for having them in my life. They inspire me, challenge me and make me want to do more and help more. What is the biggest misconception about eco-friendly design? One misconception is that some people still think that to live in a green home means it is made out of recycled tires or looks like a shack from the 1970s. Green homes can be beautiful and elegant. They can be modern, or really any style that fits the climate and collaborates with the land around it. Another misconception is that green is more expensive. While some aspects of the upfront costs of sustainable materials and methods don’t cost more, some do. However, for most people who don’t pay cash up front for their homes and have a mortgage, the real monthly bills related to their home have to do with not only the mortgage, but also the energy and water bills. Once we start analyzing costs in that very real way, then we see that green homes don’t cost more, but over time, will actually cost less. What “words of wisdom” can/do you share with others? You can make a difference. If you see a problem, try to come up with a way to ﬁx it. Who are your role models? I feel fortunate to have worked for Michael Graves and Frank Gehry. They have both done so much, in very different ways, to help bring great design to the masses. Bill McDonough is also a fantastic role model for me and for thousands of others. He doesn’t accept that being “less bad” is OK. He sets the bar high for all of us and inspires us to think differently. What’s the one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you haven’t yet? My mission is to make thoughtful, sustainable design accessible. I have been working toward this, and will continue to do so, along with a growing group of individuals and companies who are sharing this mission. It is an exciting time, and I am hopeful and more committed than ever. People would be surprised to ﬁnd out that you…? I am a really great bartender. Or at least I think I am. OK, people who know me might not be that surprised at that. s —Sallie Moffat Find out Kaufmann’s k & b tips at www.kbbonline.com/Kaufmann + K BB October July 2004 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com/Kaufmann http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - October 2009

KBB - October 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Publisher’s Note
Trends
Products
Profile
Design
Model Behavior: A Southern Kitchen is Green All Over
Special Blend
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - October 2009