Universal And Green

Seattle area Contractor Mike Vowels & Architect Emory Baldwin both serve on the Northwest Universal Design Council and co-present on the subject of Universal Design.  Uniquely, they dovetail their individual knowledge of Green and Universal Design building and remodeling practices and their presentation showcases their individual homes, both of which have earned Award Winning Universal Design recognition.

Mike Vowels is an award winning Remodeler, Certified Forest Steward and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) and in affiliation with the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), Mike currently serves on the CAPS Board of Governors Committee and writes published articles on the subject of Universal Design and Green Living practices.

As a credit to sustainability, Mike’s site harvested hand-hewn log home serves as a model for Universal Design and Environmental Building Practices.  Mike served on the Barrier Free Technical advisory Group for Washington State Building Codes in 1994 and continues to educate the community and construction industry about the value and long term benefits of integrating both Universal and Green Design into building and remodeling practices.

Industry Awards include: 

• 2009 Building Industry of Washington, Remodeling Excellence Award – Green Remodeling
• 2009 Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties, Remodeling Excellence Award – Universal Design
• 2009 Built Green Washington Award – Remodel Under $100k
• 2008 Building Industry Association of Washington Award – Universal Design 

2008/2009 speaking engagements include:

• Northwest Indian Housing Association – Coure d’ Alene, Idaho 
• Seattle Aging & Disability Services Advisory Council – Seattle, Washington
• Association of Kitchen & Bath Designers – Tacoma, Washington
• NW Builders Show – Bellevue, Washington 

Special Recognition – the Vowels Residence is showcased as a Remodeled Home Case Study by King County of Washington GreenTools Program, in short as follows:

Rural Green Building and Universal Design Case Study - The GreenTools program is designed to help all King County stakeholders green their built environment while addressing critical environmental issues, such as global warming, critical habitat restoration and solid waste reduction. GreenTools provides technical assistance, grants and hands-on training to help users create green projects efficiently and effectively. - King County Solid Waste Division, Green Tools Program, Residential Green Building Case Studies - January 2009

Emory Baldwin is an award winning Architect and a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) and is a founding principal of ZAI inc., an architectural firm that specializes in socially sustainable housing design that responds to the changing needs of people over their lifetime.  Such homes enable their residents to retain their independence as they grow older and ‘age-in-place’ on their own terms.   

Emory graduated with a master’s in architecture degree from the University of Washington in 1997, where he wrote his master’s thesis on “Housing in Response to the Human Life Cycle”.  Since then, he has been designing a range of residential projects, primarily senior housing and multi-family mixed-use developments.  He was the recent chair of the Northwest Universal Design Council, a coalition of multidisciplinary professionals that focuses on promoting inclusive design in the housing industry.

Industry Awards include:

• 2009 National AIA Small Projects Honor Award - Accessible Residences 
• 2007 City of Portland’s - Courtyard Housing Design Competition 

2008/2009 speaking engagements include:

• Northwest Indian Housing Association – Cour d’ Alene, Idaho
• Seattle Aging & Disability Services Advisory Council – Seattle, Washington
• Association of Kitchen & Bath Designers – Tacoma, Washington
• Supportive Design and Technology for Healthy Aging - SeaTac, Washington
• NW Builders Show – Bellevue. Washington
• International Conference on Aging & Disability – St. Petersburg, Florida

2006/2007 International speaking engagements include:

• Conference on Caregiving, Disability, Aging & Technology - Toronto, Canada
• Conference on Universal Design - Kyoto, Japan