2008 CAPS of the Year
Esther Greenhouse, CAPS

"Harness the power of the built environment to enable our elders to thrive." Esther Greenhouse is an environment gerontologist: a professional who specializes in how the built environment effects the functioning and well-being of older adults. A former interior designer, Greenhouse has worked as a researcher and a lecturer at Cornell University. She has taught design studios focusing on accessibility, universal design for seniors and design for Alzheimer's disease. Dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place, she teaches CAPS classes to make this a reality. Greenhouse also conducts seminars on aging in place. She holds memberships in NAHB, the Gerontological Society of America, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the Environmental Design and Research Association. Greenhouse became involved in NAHB at the encouragement of her husband Brooke, a builder who is very active in his local and state associations and has served as president of both. They live in the Ithaca region of New York State with their son. Greenhouse is an occasional professional artist and is involved in fundraising through a social action committee. [ return to top ]