Devon Artis-White

Senior Coordinator, Built Environment Development

The focus and expertise that Devon brings to the BLC team is at the intersection of social, economic, and climate justice within the built environment. Their career started with work on crews building high performance homes in Vermont and Rhode Island and, over the past decade, has expanded into fields of impact design and social justice.

Born in southern Oregon and raised in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, they are, what the locals call, a “flatlander.” Devon holds a bachelor’s degree from Green Mountain College where they studied renewable energy and ecology design and a master’s degree in sustainable design from the Boston Architectural College, where their thesis research focused on how regenerative business practices and movements are reshaping the construction industry.

After years of hands-on construction work, Devon shifted their focus to use their background in design and construction within a community context and went on to teach community-based design-build and place-based problem solving to high school students in Providence, Rhode Island at DownCity Design, a local arts non-profit.

After relocating back to Vermont during the pandemic, they joined New Frameworks, a worker cooperative natural building company. Devon would go on to co-direct and help formally launch New Framework’s Gryphon Wall Panel division. Along with a leadership team and crew, they oversaw the development of one of the United States’ first straw bale insulated wall panels, which centered on a partnership with a local sustainable grower of heirloom wheat to supply the straw byproduct.

In addition to their diverse work experience, Devon has received the honor of taking part in several fellowship cohorts over the years including the Buckminster Fuller Institute Design Challenge Fellowship in 2016. Devon lives in Vermont’s Champlain Valley with their high school sweetheart, goofball dog, and a very reasonably sized Lego collection. They enjoy exploring Vermont's backroads, hiking mountains, and eating whatever's in season.