After graduation, Goodwin returned to Arizona and joined his father's firm. In 1966, he received his license in architecture and was made senior partner.[1][4][5] The firm then became known as Michael & Kemper Goodwin Ltd. He took over the firm after his father retired in 1975. In 1978, he was the youngest person ever to become a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.[2]
In 1969 Goodwin ran for his districts seat in the Arizona House of Representatives on the Republican ticket. He would go on to serve two terms in the House. In 1975 he ran for Secretary of State which he lost by a narrow margin to Wesley Bolin. Goodwin did all this while still maintaining his career as an architect.
His firm specialized in educational structures designing facilities for several school districts throughout Arizona. Many of these schools are still in use, however several have been demolished and replaced with new campuses.
He was also one of the first architects to experiment in green and sustainable building designs as well as efficiency of building design as seen in many of his educational and municipal buildings.[6] Examples of his sustainable and efficiency ideas include the use of sloping glass, earth berms, solar energy, hexagonal structures framed in as parallelograms, light and body heat as heat sources, modular portable building elements, and rooftop parking.[1]
In 1981 Goodwin and his family moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, at this time Goodwin began to phase himself out of architecture[1] to represent this the firm was reorganized into Ahern, MacVittie, Hofmann & Goodwin, Ltd.[4][7] Ultimately Goodwin's name would be dropped and Ahern, MacVittie & Hofmann Ltd. would go on to design many more schools. He would however involve himself in real estate as a developer and keep the name Michael & Kemper Goodwin Ltd. when developing the Elks Run subdivision in Flagstaff.[8] In 1995 Michael returned to Phoenix living in an adobe home on Camelback Mountain.[1]
Goodwin died of pulmonary fibrosis on May 4, 2011, at the age of 72.[9]
Garden Showcase Apartments (now MarQ at 1st) Tempe, Arizona (1984)
The Elk Run subdivision in Flagstaff, Arizona, among his few residential designs
Yavapai County Health Building, Prescott, Arizona (1986): built using Goodwin's Sweet Little Unit (SLU) steel framed portable building system (Demolished)[1]
Multi-use Building Addition at Campo Bello Elementary School (1976)
Multi-use Building Addition at Larkspur Elementary School (1978)
Paradise Valley Portable Elementary Schools (1978–1979): Goodwin called it the "sweet little unit" (SLU) portable steel framed classrooms which were able to be expanded vertically or horizontally built around a permanent core. Aire Libre, Desert Springs, Sandpiper and Sweetwater Elementary Schools among others.[4][1]
Horizon High School (1978–1980):[13] initial plan called for SLU method to be used, final product was a permanent structure of masonry, steel, and concrete with earth berms[1]
Sunrise Middle School (1980–1981): classroom buildings built using SLU method
"Corona del Sol High School solar system, Tempe Union High School District No. 213. Final technical report". 1982-06-15. OSTI6346333.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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