Mission-Driven Communities in Israel: A Model for the United States?
Caddis Collaborative hears from Roger Studley who for several years, has been working to combine two types of community: Jewish and cohousing. These two concepts of community – one that allows people to experience and express their Jewish lives and one that gives people the chance to knit close communities through shared living – can be mutually reinforcing and stronger together.
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint and Increasing Affordability: Rethinking Transportation in Multifamily Projects
Encouraging a variety of transportation modes is a great way to address climate change and increase affordability.
Electric Vehicles in Housing Developments: How to Plan for Future Demand
Now that electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining in popularity, many housing developers are adding electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSEs) so that these new vehicles can be charged. What’s often not taken into consideration, however, is future demand for EVSEs.
Green Roofs: Biodiverse Design for Cities
Caddis recently talked with two colleagues who work in the area of “green roofs”: Andy Creath (Green Roofs of Colorado) and Jennifer Bousselot (Colorado State University). Caddis is delighted to be working with Andy on a new project in Denver: a rooftop garden at The Co-op at 1st. And Jennifer’s work on rooftop agrivoltaics has captured Caddis’s attention. Read to learn how, as Jennifer puts it, “green roofs will help cities become more livable.”
Go Electric: Why and How to Go Carbon-Free in Your Home
Caddis Collaborative has been designing all-electric multifamily and single-family homes for over a decade. We encourage all of our clients to go all electric, and we’re seeing great success with the transition to no-carbon homes. Check out our blog post on why and how to go electric – whether you’re building a new house or retrofitting an existing house.
Building at Ponderosa: Caddis Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity
Caddis Collaborative staff recently had the chance to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity at the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park’s redevelopment. It was a great chance to build the team, contribute to our community, and help construct a project we had designed.
What We’re Reading: Karin Recommends “Inside, the World Is Orange”
Caddis Collaborative loves to read! This month, we check in with business manager Karin Hoskin. She recommends the Ellen Orleans memoir Inside, the World is Orange.
Caddis Volunteers Here, There, and Everywhere!
Caddis staff members love to invest energy locally. It’s the best way they know to grow better places. Read our blog post to learn more about the many ways Caddis staff have contributed to places they lived before coming to Colorado and how they’re continuing their volunteer efforts now that they call Boulder home.
Caddis Is Coming to Madison!
Caddis Collaborative is coming to Madison, Wisconsin, for the 2022 conference of the Cohousing Association of the United States! The conference – themed “Communities Coming Together” – will be held August 26-28. Read more in our blog post.
Caddis Employee Named TGTHR Volunteer of the Year
Caddis' Karin Hoskin has been named Volunteer of the Year for TGTHR, an organization serving homeless youth in Boulder, Colorado. Karin is part of TGTHR’s Street Outreach team. Read our blog post to learn more.
Designing with Nature: Biodiverse Design in Caddis Projects
How do you make a green environment for people to live in that is also integrated with nature? Throughout our work, we affirm the belief that the human world and the natural world can and should be integrated – rather than designing so that housing is over here and nature over there.
What We’re Reading: Ryan Recommends “Breath”
Caddis Collaborative loves to read! This month, we check in with job captain Ryan Adanalian. He recommends James Nestor’s nonfiction book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.
What We’re Reading: Cathy Recommends “The Namesake”
Caddis Collaborative loves to read! This month, we check in with job captain Cathy Dong. She recommends Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake.
Making Impact: Helping Improve Our Local Community through Amazing Partners
As a mission-driven organization, Caddis loves supporting others who are making great things happen in our community of Boulder, Colorado. We help build local sustainable impact by putting our strength and talents behind people and organizations that are doing good.
Caddis Spotlight: River and Woods
Located in a century-old miner’s cabin in downtown Boulder, River and Woods restaurant specializes in what it calls “Colorado comfort cuisine.” Caddis was pivotal in the reoccupation of this historic building as a restaurant.
Caddis Spotlight: Naropa University
Located in Boulder, Naropa University was the first accredited university to bring contemplative education to the West. A cherished local institution, Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in contemplative psychology, environmental studies, and creative writing, among others. Of particular renown is the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, founded by poets Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman. Caddis’s work for Naropa has included designing the university’s student lounge, Snowlion student housing, performing arts center, café, Alaya Preschool, and Nalanda campus as well as assisting with the university’s master planning and property entitlement processes.
Caddis Spotlight: Hillside School
Located in Boulder County, Hillside School educates students with dyslexia and other learning differences through a half-day personalized learning environment. Caddis Collaborative is helping this wonderful community resource as it evolves, conducting Boulder County Special Use Review and Entitlement processes for a wonderful new facility that will architecturally match Hillside’s innovative teaching approach in a setting that provides quiet outdoor space and nature play opportunities for the students.
Caddis Spotlight: Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center is a rustic Buddhist retreat center that brings Buddhism and Dharma back into the natural world where they originated. Caddis Collaborative helped preserve and codify the historic use of this land as an educational retreat center through Boulder County entitlement processes and provided design services for bringing the facilities into year-round use, adding renewables, and ensuring historic preservation.
Neuroscience and Architecture: What Science Teaches Us About Designing Buildings for Mental Health and Well-Being
Caddis Collaborative is excited to be working with consulting architect Jim Kehoe, who brings his work with architecture and neuroscience to our projects in western Colorado. Thanks to Jim, our work on a multifamily neighborhood in Ridgway, Colorado, as well as our work on affordable housing developments is designed to support residents’ health and well-being. Read Jim’s blog post to learn more about this fascinating approach to architecture.
Working with Lama Foundation: University of Colorado Architecture Students Bring Their Skills to a Spiritual Retreat Center
Stephen Eckert, senior architect at Caddis Collaborative, talks about the service work he and his wife, architect and University of Colorado faculty member Jade Polizzi, do with CU students. Almost every summer since 2010, Stephen and Jade have taken a group of about 12 architecture students to New Mexico to work on a “design build” project for Lama Foundation, an ecumenical spiritual retreat center. Read his blog post to find out about this unique project.
Four Strategies for Biodiverse Design
Caddis Collaborative is excited to be designing CoHousing Houston, a new community in the East End of Houston, Texas. Recently, two community members talked with Bryan about his “jump” into cohousing. Visit the Caddis blog to read more and listen to the podcast.
Sustainable Urbanism and The “15-Minute City”
Caddis presents “Sustainable Urbanism and ‘Commoning’ Case Studies,” a report featuring recent examples of sustainable urbanism and the “15-minute city”
Principal Architect Kristen Uitto Featured in “Women in Architecture Projection”
Caddis Collaborative is pleased to announce that our own Kristen Uitto, principal architect at Caddis, was featured as part of AIA Colorado’s “Women in Architecture Projection,” which ran in October 2020 in downtown Denver
Thriving During the Pandemic: The Story of One Urban Community
Caddis reflects on how Wild Sage Cohousing Community in Boulder, Colorado has thrived during the pandemic, by self-organizing for neighborly care and connection. Being able to know, see, and care for neighbors sustained Wild Sagers during the pandemic and was an unmeasured form of resilience. Communities like Wild Sage thrived during the pandemic – yet another reason to support community-first ways of living! Read more in our blog post.
Podcast Feature: Jumping Into Cohousing
Caddis Collaborative is excited to be designing CoHousing Houston, a new community in the East End of Houston, Texas. Recently, two community members talked with Bryan about his “jump” into cohousing. Visit the Caddis blog to read more and listen to the podcast.