“People have been building housing for most of human existence,” says Caddis Collaborative senior architect Stephen Eckert. He reflects on the “timeless connection” he was able to tap into when he participated in Caddis’s recent volunteering at Ponderosa Mobile Home Park’s Habitat for Humanity build.

Ponderosa is a 74-unit, 6.29-acre mobile home park that has been transformed into an affordable housing redevelopment project. Caddis served as the architecture firm for Ponderosa, which is located less than one mile from Caddis’s headquarters in north Boulder.

Caddis designed the new residential buildings to be net zero and to fit within a similar footprint of the mobile homes. Other design features include new single-family, duplex, and triplex units; a community building; green courts; and pocket parks. The aim is to maintain affordability in the community for existing and new residents with a goal of zero displacement.

Caddis staff recently had the opportunity to volunteer in a Habitat for Humanity build in the community. This volunteering experience enhanced team building at Caddis. The staff enjoyed time together away from the office, and it also gave them the chance to serve the greater community.

A key part of the staff’s experience was the opportunity to help build a project that the company had designed. Architect Molly Kostoff says, “Drafting and drawing walls in Revit is very different from how it actually gets built. Laying out walls and blocking out where the doors go is different when building. To see it in person is so powerful.”

Caddis staff brought a range of experience – from no experience with building to quite a bit more expertise. Everyone on staff was welcomed and assigned tasks they could accomplish. Stephen and principal architect Bryan Bowen built a shaft wall for fire protection, and architectural associate Cathy Dong and business manager Karin Hoskin built a storage box for scrap wood.

“It was nice getting away from my computer and working in the field with everyone,” says Cathy. “Drawing two-dimensional plans is different than seeing the project in person.”

Principal architect Kristen Uitto says, “As architects we don’t always have the opportunity to get involved with the actual physical building. We oversee, and we visit, but we rarely partake in construction. It was a huge learning opportunity for all of us.”

Karin agrees: “It is such a vital experience no matter what field you’re in to be able to spend time in some other aspect of that field. It gives a better perspective to be able to see the big picture.”

Caddis looks forward to volunteering with the Ponderosa project in the future and seeing its design come to life. “This is a project we designed,” says Karin. “That is truly the icing on the cake.”

Above: The Caddis team feels a sense of accomplishment after a day of volunteering for Habitat for Humanity at Ponderosa. Back, left to right: Jesús Bendezú, Kristen Uitto, Molly Kostoff, Brandon Farrand. Front, left to right: Kelly Siu, Cathy Dong.

Above: The Caddis team reviews designs for the Habitat for Humanity build at Ponderosa.

Above: The Caddis team puts the plan into action.

Above: Caddis staffers Cathy Dong (left) and Karin Hoskin (right) built a box to store scrap wood. Here they show off their handiwork with Mark, a Habitat for Humanity worker.

Above: Working as part of the Habitat for Humanity build at Ponderosa, Caddis staff member Kelly Siu sports a Caddis T-shirt: “be kind, do good work.”