Novy is a native of Denver and studied in Lyon, France, in high school before moving to Boulder and receiving his bachelor’s degree in environmental design — with an emphasis on historic preservation – from the University of Colorado. He and his wife Julia lived in Nagano, Japan, after college, where Novy planned large water recreation resorts for Nihon Sekkei. He relishes finding sustainable, integrative solutions to affordable housing and is an avid cyclist.