COOPER J. KESSEL, the principal architect at Alternative Energy Design, Inc., in Sonora, California, has over 30 years experience in designing and building Sustainable Design projects.
Early History
Cooper J. Kessel was born in San Francisco and moved to Twain Harte in the Sierra foothills when he was three-years-old. His father and grandfather were both involved in building and the design of a variety of things. Cooper's grandfather, William P. Kessel, immigrated from Denmark around the turn of the century and married Katherine Bacon, whose father had established the First Bank of Oakland in the late 19th century. Cooper's great grandparents' civic activities included a donation to the Universtiy of California, the Berkeley Campus, for construction of Bacon Hall. The building was demolished in the sixties for campus expansion.
William P. Kessel patented the Air Cooled Fluid Brake used on locomotives and also pursued development of a high efficiency turbine design. He also was involved in the construction industry and sold metal ceiling and wall panel systems that were in vogue at the time.
Ken Kessel, Cooper's father, followed in the building trade, working as a painter, carpenter, building designer and architect.
Growing up with the woods and forests as his backyard, Cooper's childhood activites included building forts, kayaks, treehouses, swings and the like.
Following his K-12 education, he attended CalPoly University ind San Luis Obispo, studying architecture at a time when the Vietnam War and the Back-to-Earth movement were in full swing. Though he found build design enjoyable, it also seemed to lack a certain pertinence in that it did not place concern for environmental impact in an elevated position.
Because of this, he and two fellow students decided to teach a class on "Environmental Awareness" to university students to fulfill their Senior Project requirement. This involved preparing a curriculum in the Fall Semester, refining it, and getting it approved in the Winter Quarter, then delivering the class in The Spring. The most noteable aspect of the process was the overriding viewpoint (in 1971) from "The Establishment" that seemed to be: Why are you doing this? There is no problem with the environment!
Following his graduation in 1972, Cooper moved back to Sonora and worked with his father's company, Kessel Designs. Finding it difficult to find a market for solar homes in 1972 Sonora, Cooper decided to get involved in construction so he could experiment with different design solutions on his own projects. By 1977, he had obtained his General Building Contractors license and had constructed his own home, his first passive solar design.
At this time, the 1973 Oil Embargo had occurred and people were, for the first time, becoming aware that there could be problems securing the resources they needed to live in traditional homes.
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Professional Resume
COOPER J. KESSEL, AIA, NCARB
Principal Architect
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Architecture
California State Polytechnic University,
San Luis Obispo, California
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS
NCARB Cert. #44101
Architect, State of California - #C-14839
California General Building Contractor-#B-337107
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
American Institute of Architects
Northern California Solar Energy Association
American Institute of Architects, Sierra Valley Chapter Board Member
Cal Poly Alumni Honor Roll
Scarab Honorary Scholastic Fraternity
Tuolumne County Local Transportation Commission, Chairperson
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
Upon receiving his Bachelor of Architecture Degree in 1972, Cooper returned to Sonora, California and worked for Kessel Design Service, his father's firm. Cooper worked as a project manager for the firm which serviced commercial and residential clients in the central California area.
In 1977, Cooper obtained his General Building Contractor's license and established 
COOPER KESSEL, architect, & associates, where he provides design/build services to residential clients interested in passive solar and energy efficient designs.
In 1984, Cooper recieved his registration as an architect, enabling him to expand his design/build services to include commercial projects. At that time, he incorporated the business as alternative energy designs, inc., and created a separate business for each service:
AED construction
Since its creation, 
COOPER KESSEL, architect, & associates has served a wide variety of clientele throughout Northern California, with projects ranging from custom homes to government and commercial facilities.
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