Colorado casual architectual observations

This is my 6th trip to the great state if CO, but the first trip w green building foremost on my mind.
A majority of the trip was spent in the little mountain town of Leadville, for the Leadville 100 race, about 2 hrs outside if denver. There, I found an abundance of wonderful victorian architecture. Unfortunately, there was no evidence of progressive/green building amongst the newer structures.
Despite the seemingly progressive nature of the town, there was no recycling program either. Some of the locals I spoke w/ attribute this to the conservative nature of the majority of the populace, and the "we'll just mine more" mentality.

The economy of Leadville and many of the smaller towns around CO are quickly shifting from an extraction based economy to a tourist based economy. This is extremely evident when comparing the amount of abandoned mines to the amount of rafts,mtn bikes,skis, fishing rods, etc etc......More on this very situation can be read about in Jared Diamond's latest book, COLLAPSE.
All in all a great trip, but rural CO needs to re-evaluate their enviromental stewardship policies if they wish to cash in on their new economy.

Save money, save energy....save the planet?

Some of you may know that the federal government has offered a $1500 tax credit for those who choose to do energy upgrades to their homes.

One of the simplest things you can do to help cool your house in the summer and keep warm in the winter is replace the windows in your house. It is an easy process that is quick and affordable.

Check out Marvin Windows for a good, solid, high performing window for a reasonable cost.


If you'd like to learn more about window replacement or the credits involved, contact myself, or my preferred supplier Keystone Windows and Doors on 4th ave in Seattle

Houses we think are sexy..............

I was out for a run today from Madison Park over to Fremont and along the way I snapped a couple pics of some houses I think are worth reviewing. The curved roof structure is on north lake and the one with opposing shed roofs is on 16th and thomas.

One of the fun things about running by yourself is that you don't have the endless chatter with a partner, therefore, more time can be spent observing the enviroment, which in the city, often happens to be great architecture.

Stay tuned!More to come!

Lower my mortgage and increase urban density? YES PLEASE!

Right now, Tradecraft Builders is encouraging clients to look @ the new Cottage Legislation that City of Seattle and former Mayor Nickles recently passed.

They help reduce mortgage payments, and help the city with it's urban density issues. With people downsizing due to economic reasons, now is a great time to build and find renters. As Council Member Burgess says"I think this legislation strengthens our neighborhoods......"

With this current perspective client, we are building the cottage as an office, as they work from home. In the future, this unit could easily be converted to a one bedroom studio for to increase the resale value and we couldn't agree more.

The Designer of Record is Tom Estep, Residential and Commercial Design.

Green Building 101

If you are curious as to what defines Green Building, here is an interesting synopsis of the movement and concept as described by NorthWest EcoBuilding Guild:

Greenbuilding 101

Northwest Ecobuilding Guild is a great resource for both the layman and the professional. I've been to some amazing lectures that they have sponsored and as a collective whole, they are a huge advocate for the enviroment. More grassroots/local than some of the bigger orgs like Built Green, and USGBC , yet still attracts high caliber speakers and presentations.

Community development campaign

Well, if you hadn't heard, Tradecraft Builders LLC is up and running. We have one 'major' project that we've completed, and our next one is due to start next week.

As a new company we are trying to build referral base. A few of my mentors have said "relax Trent and let the work come to you......" So I'm trying to balance that angle with passing out my card to anything with a pulse.

In the meantime we've been busy with a few community projects that are "building oriented". There are the beaver sanctuary street end down in Madison Park where I live. By my estimations we yarded out over 10 tons of detritus including blackberries, steel fencing, concrete, and beer bottles of various sizes. It's been a great learning experience and under the leadership of Gene Brandzel, the project is finally coming to a close.

We've also been busy out at Camp Parsons on the peninsula. This past weekend, we erected it an 800 square foot bathroom facility. We got the chance to work with some very talented carpenters. Check out the pictures on the Tradecraft Builders Facebook Page




Thanks for checking in with us!