Ben Wolk, AIA, CPHC
Associate | Architecture
Growing up in New Jersey, Ben was always interested in discovering how things worked and wondering how they could be made better. This explains why his architecture career has been focused on asking the question of why we build buildings the way we do, and how can building science improve our constructed and natural environments. This curiosity and propensity for LEGO and K’NEX had Ben knowing from an early age that he wanted to be an architect.
Ben attended the Rhode Island School of Design, receiving both a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Early in his career — while working for several small firms in New Jersey — he focused on developing his experience with residential and small commercial projects, refining his skill set in both project development and the business side of architecture. After following the love of his life to the Pacific Northwest and working in the multifamily, assisted living, and infrastructure/industrial sectors, Ben dove deep into his longstanding passion for sustainable design and construction by starting his own firm, Zoetic Architecture. This provided him with the opportunity to design (and help build) the first Certified Passive House built by a Habitat for Humanity Chapter in Oregon.
After relocating to Seattle to work on Passive House multifamily buildings, Ben brings to Board & Vellum a focus on the lifetime environmental impacts of buildings, analyzing not only construction practices and materials, but also the energy efficiency of the end product. His goal is to bring intelligent sustainable design to all levels of construction in such a way that it is more affordable, comfortable, and beautiful, with less impact on the world.
Ben is a licensed Architect in Oregon and Washington, as well as a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), and a Sustainable Housing Professional (SHP).
