Here’s how CMKBD Doug Walter has been making it count
“What kind of legacy do I want to leave?”
That’s the big question Colorado architect Doug Walter started asking himself around his 50th birthday. Since then, he has become deeply involved in non-profit work that has changed both the kitchen and bath industry–and the lives of many.
Like Grayson Fox, a defense captain of his high-school football team who suddenly became paraplegic after a car accident. Unable to stay in the beloved home Grayson had grown up in, the family moved into a temporary apartment before doing an unsuccessful remodel on a new house. The roll-in shower was too small, the bathroom flooded, and there was just not enough room for Grayson to maneuver around his bedroom suite.
So Doug and his colleague, Amber Howard, CKBD, stepped in–enlarging the bathroom, redoing the kitchen with shelves Grayson could reach, a speed oven and dishwasher drawer just below the custom 34 inch high counter, roll-under spaces for the induction cooktop and sink, and adding a combination washer-dryer to his bedroom closet.
Grayson, who is now on scholarship on the wheelchair tennis team at the University of Houston, said his house finally feels like home again. His football jersey and helmet now hang over his bed–as a reminder of what once was.
Widening the scope of accessibility
The Grayson home is one of over 180 accessible remodels done by the Home Builders Foundation in 2025–at no cost to the recipients. Doug has been involved with Denver’s HBF for over 23 years. Some of the projects are as simple as adding a ramp or platform lift. Others involve adding completely new rooms. All of the projects need dedicated volunteers.
“The need is endless,” said Doug. “75% of disabilities are invisible. We think of disability as someone in a wheelchair. But that’s just one type, and many people have multiple disabilities. We also need to keep the long term in mind. In all my work, I’m not just designing for right now; I’m thinking 10-20 years down the road.”
Doug’s interest in accessible design stemmed from watching his grandmother, who lived to be 105. He has helped write the curriculum for the Certified Aging in Place Professional (CAPS) from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) when he volunteered for them.
“I believe the more you give, the more you get. I’ve volunteered for every organization I’ve been a part of.”
To that end, the biggest current recipient of Doug’s volunteer work is the NKBA. Doug is a frequent presenter in our current NKBA webinars, Voices from the Industry Sessions, and he has served on 3 national committees–including as a subject-matter expert for the Lighting Badge curriculum and the Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines (editions 4 and 5).
Finding volunteer opportunities right where you are
Aside from giving your time to organizations you’re already a member of, Doug recommends looking right where you live. “In every community there are organizations assisting the homeless, the disabled, seniors, veterans, immigrants, or victims of domestic abuse. Pick up the phone and call them asking how you might help.”
Doug also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, the Jewish Family Service, and Easter Seals’ Handicamp–which gives children with disabilities a place to meet and just be kids. His current HBF project is for a 35-year-old nurse with a spinal-cord injury.
As if that’s not enough, Doug also served four years on Colorado’s Capitol Building Advisory Council and three years as a Denver Landmark Commissioner–in charge of overseeing work on homes in Denver’s 53 historic districts.
“I have a hard time saying ‘no’! But pro-bono work will change you, in a profound way. It gives you purpose. You realize that you change lives for the better with your designs. When you are designing an accessible bath, or entry for someone with a mobility challenge in desperate need, it is never so clear. And the clients are SO grateful.”
