The Professional Team
Building a new community is a lot of work. To transform an inspired vision into bricks and mortar is in many ways a work of art. The current members of our cohousing community and those yet to come are indebted to the professional team that made Sunnyside Village Cohousing an earth friendly, people friendly, and fun place to live.
To Karen, Grace, Miles, Sam, and Nina – We are grateful for your joining us on this journey and embracing our vision, thank you!
Their bios are below, if you are in need of similar professional services, we encourage you to give them a call.
Karen Gimnig – is a professional facilitator, and our process consultant.
Grace and Miles from Schemata Workshop are our Architects.
Sam and Nina from Green Canopy NODE are our developer and general contractor.
Karen Gimnig
Process Consultant
Karen Gimnig is our relationship trainer and process consultant with a passion for cohousing communities. Karen prefers to have long term relationships with communities getting to know them well and providing the ongoing support they need over time to continue to grow together into connected, high functioning communities with effective consensus or sociocratic decision making.
Schemata Workshop are the Architects on the professional team. They are a collaborative studio of members dedicated to the collective success of the practice and improving the livability of communities. They acknowledge that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They think architecture is exciting. For them, that means creating memorable and authentic design. See their designs for our Common House and our two bedroom and three bedroom homes.
Grace Kim
Architect
Grace Kim (she/her) is a founding principal of Schemata Workshop and began her architectural career in Chicago before returning home to Seattle. Grace is a consensus builder, helping her clients and project stakeholders envision how a completed project will be experienced. She is a compassionate listener and sensitive designer, paying attention to both the present and future needs of her clients. Grace is the author of The Survival Guide to Architectural Internship and Career Development, and in 2008, she was recipient of the National AIA Young Architect Award. Grace spoke in Vancouver at TED 2017 on the topic of cohousing.
For four years, Grace served on the board of the Cohousing Association of the US. She is also a founding member of Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing. Grace is currently a commissioner of the Seattle Planning Commission and serves on the Board of Directors for the Housing Development Consortium – an advocacy group for the affordable housing industry. Grace is frequently presenting at national conferences on the topics of mentorship, Cohousing, and alternative housing models for seniors and those with disabilities.
Miles Cook
Architect
After attending the Master of Architecture program at the University of New Mexico, Miles Cook (He/Him) practiced with firms in Albuquerque and Seattle for over 15 years prior to joining Schemata Workshop. He is a registered architect and certified passive house consultant with experience in a variety of public sector and institutional project types. Inspired by a strong interest in bridging the gap between high-performance sustainable design and housing affordability, his work includes research and development of streamlined prefab building systems aimed at optimizing the balance of cost, energy efficiency, and constructability. Facilitating the collaborative effort required to bring each project to fruition is one of his top priorities, and he endeavors to provide the best possible service to clients while contributing to the collective effort to build a vibrant and sustainable future. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2017, he has enjoyed exploring the wide range of natural settings offered by the region with family and friends, as well as digging for old records in local shops and garage sales.
The Developer and General Contractor on the professional team is Green Canopy NODE. They are guided by the desire for sustainable and healthy homes to be accessible to people at every income level. Through partnership, and a deep commitment to innovation, they provide an alternative to the current paradigm of housing. (See the recent Master Builders Association article about them)
Sam Lai
Cofounder & Chief Development Officer
Sam is a co-founder of Green Canopy NODE. With two decades of experience as a Licensed and Certified Residential Appraiser in Washington and Oregon he has provided valuation, consulting and analytic services for over $3B in FDIC and private real estate construction loans and transactions.
As the Chief Development Officer, Sam directs development on behalf of Green Canopy NODE, its funds, investors and clients including over $400M in Seattle and Portland area residential projects. Sam is a graduate of the University of Washington and has an MBA with an emphasis on social and environmental sustainability from Presidio Graduate School and Bainbridge Graduate Institute.
Nina Milligan
Associate Project Manager
Nina joined Green Canopy in June 2021 as Development Services Coordinator. A long-time advocate for Built Green® and other sustainability efforts in the built environment, Nina is active in local policy work supporting environmental stewardship. She brings a wide range of business experiences with a common thread of building strong relationships through reliable customer service and clear communications.
Nina was honored with a Community Builder Award for her work in Issaquah Highlands, a large-scale, 100% Built Green® master-planned community in Washington State.
When away from her desk, you will find her hiking or gravel biking near her home in the foothills of the Western Cascades. Nina is also an avid reader of period English novels and loves to “study” film adaptations of classic literature.