I have spent 25 years designing sustainable solutions for affordable housing and public schools and am now eager to apply my expertise toward the electrification of single-family homes and the development of beautiful net-zero Accessory Dwelling Units. With a wealth of practical tools in my kit, I create innovative and effective solutions that benefit both homeowners and the environment.

As a principal at Gelfand Partners Architects, I developed expertise in modernizing early 20th-century buildings with a focus on sustainability.  I consistently delivered sustainable solutions to design challenges, often for clients with limited funding, including the rehabilitation of more than 2,850 units of affordable housing, 182 units of new construction, and more than 40 educational projects. Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in community and professional service projects, including serving on the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools National Technical Committee and co-authoring the book Sustainable Renovation, Strategies for Commercial Building Systems and Envelope. See my previous work here.

After growing up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  I received my Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Yale College in 1985 and a Master of Architecture degree from UCLA School of Architecture in 1990. I then practiced in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

When I’m not working on sustainable design projects, one of my great joys is volunteering as a coach for the Berkeley High School Mountain Bike team.