Speaker Archive

Michelle Kaufmann

Michelle Kaufmann, AIA, LEED(r) AP
Founder + Chairman of Michelle Kaufmann Designs
 
Growing up in Iowa, Kaufmann developed a deep understanding of the relationship between humankind and the environment, an awareness she strives to incorporate into everything she does. When Kaufmann relocated to Northern California, she found a lack of affordable, sustainable, well-designed homes, and soon realized she could make a difference through her architecture. In 2002, she founded Michelle Kaufmann Designs and began her effort to make thoughtful, sustainable design accessible to all.
 
Named the Henry Ford of green homes by Sierra Club magazine in 2007, Kaufmann is now a leader in the green design community.  Her work is widely published and her homes have been showcased in a number of museums, including the National Building Museum, the Vancouver Art Center, and MOCA in Los Angeles.  Most recently, she debuted the first mkSolaire® as part of the "Smart Home: Green and Wired" exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.  MKD has won several awards for its work, including residential architect magazine's 2008 Top Firm Award and a 2008 Innovation Award from the Social Venture Network. 

Presentation Title

Prefab Green: Learning from the SMART HOME

Event Description

Kaufman, designer of the mkSolaire® home that is the central focus of the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, will discuss the house’s green design, the inclusion of her company’s 5 EcoPrinciples and the modular construction method used to build the Smart Home exhibit. Learn how thoughtful, sustainable design can be accessible to everyone.