As co-founder and Principal of two mission-driven design firms - Kaplan Thompson Architects and BrightBuilt Home - Phil Kaplan has dedicated his career to building communities that support one another and the environment. He is one of New England’s most ambitious and enthusiastic advocates for sustainable design, bringing more than two decades of technical innovation, creative achievement, and unquenchable curiosity to his field.
Phil received his Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University in 1991 and began practicing in Maine in 1997. He is a Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire Licensed Architect, LEED-Accredited Professional, founding member of the Portland Society for Architecture, and AIA Member currently serving on the AIA Maine Board of Directors.
In 2006, he co-founded Kaplan Thompson Architects, an award-winning and nationally recognized firm that has designed hundreds of high-performance, low-impact buildings at every scale across New England and beyond. The groundbreaking achievements of one of the firm’s early projects - a radically sustainable home that achieves Net Zero Energy performance using off-site construction - inspired the creation of a sister company, BrightBuilt Home, in 2013.
Phil joined the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association in 2006 and has served as an ambassador, fundraiser, and recruiter for the organization ever since. He attended NESEA's BuildingEnergy Boston conference in his first year of membership and has not missed a subsequent conference, participating as both an earnest learner and eight-time presenter. He also served on the BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines Steering Committee and was a member of the NESEA Board of Directors for nine years, including stints as Board Chair and Development Chair. His primary focus was on expanding the organization’s programs and reach to engage new demographics in the rigors and rewards of high-performance building. His greatest legacy within NESEA, and the one he reflects most fondly on, is the creation of the BE the Future scholarship, a program that has invited more than 175 students and emerging professionals to join a rich community and become the next generation of forward thinkers.
