About

May 19, 2026

Announcing my Retirement and Open House!

Hi Everyone,

I’d like to announce my retirement coming up this June 30, 2026. After over four decades studying and working in the environmental design and architecture field, with the last 24 years at the University of Minnesota, I am ready for the next chapter. As I look back on this career, I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to do work I believed in, at great organizations, with wonderful collaborators, clients, and communities. What more could one ask?

These connections and threads will weave into my ongoing eco-creative practices, so I look forward to staying in touch. You can reach me at joneekulmanbrigham@gmail.com, at my website, or on LinkedIn. Also, I’m inviting my professional, creative, and wider community of friends and collaborators to help me celebrate my retirement at an open house on Saturday, June 27th from noon to 6pm at 678 County Road B East, Maplewood, MN 55117.

Here is my environmental design and architecture career timeline with some highlights along the way.

Jonee Kulman Brigham’s Environmental Design and Architecture Career Highlights

1982 – 1990   College: Pre-architecture and Bachelor of Architecture (1990)
at the University of Minnesota College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture

·         1985-1986 Architectural Intern at Boarman & Associates (Now BKV)

·         1987 Study abroad: China, Tibet, Hong Kong, Japan

1987 – 1997   Energy and Environmental Analyst, Architect, Project Manager, The Weidt Group

·         Internship, then full time

·         Energy Analyst and Project manager on >20 Xcel Energy Assets projects

·         Analysis and design software: Andersen, McQuay

·         1994, became a Registered Architect in Minnesota, joined AIA

1997 – 2001   Architect, Environment Specialist, Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.

·         Member of Cuningham’s green team

·         Co-Authored NCARB Monograph: Sustainable Design

·         Architect on restaurants and schools

2001 – 2002   Senior Project Manager and Sustainable Design Consultant, Intep, LLC

·         School daylighting and sustainability criteria

·         Pilot LEED application to residential (before LEED for Homes)

2002-2014      Research Fellow (prior Research Coordinator), Center for Sustainable Building Research,
College of Design, University of Minnesota

Adjunct Teaching Instructor, School of Architecture, College of Design

Program Faculty, Master of Science in Architecture - Sustainable Design Track, College of Design

·         Co-Principal Investigator (co-leader) B3 Guidelines (Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines)

·         Principal Investigator developing and implementing B3 Sustainable Post Occupancy Evaluation Survey (B3-SPOES)

·         Co-Principal Investigator, 2009 ICON Solar House team, solar house Universities competition on the National Mall

·         2002-present, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional

·         2013-2014  Buckman Fellowship for Leadership in Philanthropy, University of Minnesota

·         2014-present, Fellow (Resident Fellow), Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota

2014-2015      Visiting Scholar, Department of Curriculum & instruction, College of Education & Human Development,
University of Minnesota

2015-2017      Senior Research Fellow (Researcher 6), Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota

2018-present Senior Research Fellow (Researcher 6), Minnesota Design Center, College of Design, University of Minnesota

·         GreenStep Schools Program Leader

·         Co-Leader Design for Community Regeneration (D4CR)

·         Co-PI NSF Water Values project with Indigenous-led gida camp and Bell Museum

·         Co-Instructor Grand Challenge Curriculum: Power Systems Journey

·         Co-Instructor Grand Challenge Curriculum: Regenerative Game Studio

·         2021, Certificate in Learning Experience Design, Oregon State University

·         Member of Research/Design Team for Empowering Small Minnesota Communities design assistance   

What’s next?

Well, first I will take about a year to step back, catch my breath, and get more perspective on the next chapter, with potentially some travel to friends and family.

In retirement, I will continue my eco-creative practices. During my career, I also kept an art and writing practice. While I’d always enjoyed art and writing, in 2005, I started a Masters of Liberal Studies program at the University of Minnesota that began with my interest in the role of infrastructure in design, but also led me back to my love of writing and art.  In 2007, after winning a public art commission, I decided to form Full Spring Studio, LLC to hold my art practice, and later some of my creative writing practice as well.  As my master’s studies progressed, I formed Earth Systems Journey, a model that was both participatory public art and environmental education that explores human-nature connections through a designed journey of infrastructure. This resulted in my master’s thesis and the first implementation of the model in a project called Downstream/Upstream in 2011. The model has been applied over a dozen times since then in schools, camps, art residencies, and university classrooms. I also have always enjoyed researching and writing about human-nature relationships. So, I am also incubating earthwrite.site, a place to explore environmental writing, narratives, and futures.

Thank you all for the many years of meaningful community,
-Jonee