Chris Duncan Architect

About

Chris Duncan, architect, LEED AP is now in private practice focusing on design of ADUs and implementing residential electrification and energy upgrades.  At Gelfand Partners Architects for twenty-five years he developed special expertise in the modernization of early 20th century buildings, particularly the transformation of affordable housing and public schools with a focus on sustainability.  Mr. Duncan designed or supervised the rehabilitation of over 2,850 units of affordable housing and 182 units of new construction as well as over 40 education projects. 

Throughout his career, he provided sustainable solutions to design problems for clients who generally had limited funding. Responding to the intricacies of financing requirements and clients’ organizational needs, each project prioritized different aspects of sustainability. Through investigations and application of varying sustainable strategies, he gained a broad understanding of how common-sense design and technology can be applied to improving the built environment.

Mr. Duncan was involved in a broad spectrum of community and professional service projects including membership on the CHPS National Technical Committee which developed national standards for the sustainable development of schools. He co-authored Sustainable Renovation, Strategies for Commercial Building Systems and Envelope, published by Wiley and Sons in 2011.

Mr. Duncan grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin and has practiced in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He received his M.Arch. from UCLA School of Architecture in 1990 and B.A. in Architecture from Yale College in 1985.