Ben got into building as a disaster relief volunteer after Hurricane Katrina, an experience he followed with other disaster relief work in Haiti and the northwest US. After taking several natural building workshops, he dug in to making building better homes his career in Denver. He is a Certified Passive House Craftsperson and a NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler. Ben spends his free time biking around Denver and hanging out with his family.

Frank started working as a carpenter while in high school. He graduated college with a degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Architectural studies. A Natural Building course at Yestermorrow Design Build School set him up for a move to Colorado and an apprenticeship with Ryan Chivers of Artesano Plasters. Frank is the current president of the Colorado Green Building Guild. When he isn’t building, Frank likes to snuggle cats, go camping, hike, and mountain bike.

Cheryl got into the construction industry through an internship with Community Rebuilds, building a straw bale home in Moab. An Earthen Building course in Nicaragua led to some connections to the natural building community in CO. Being a tradesperson runs in the family: her grandfather designed and built houses in Florida. She is on the board of the Natural Building Alliance. Most weekends, you’ll find Cheryl rock climbing, a hobby that has taken her to many beautiful places.

Marj comes to building through disaster relief work. After high school, she spent some time demolishing and rebuilding damaged homes in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. Before joining our crew she worked at a horse stable, also taking riding lessons. Her dream is to own her own land and stables. She has a well-rounded pet family, including a dog named Daisy and a snake named Rhonda.

Beatrice, or Bea, is a Community Rebuilds alumni with a strong background in building and natural plaster, both for other organizations and on her own projects. As an apprentice on CR’s first build in Bluff, UT, she handled both administrative tasks and on site leadership and teaching. She recently moved back west from Virginia, and is excited about growing a garden and exploring new trails around the Boulder area with her dog Turtle.

Cassie is an artist with experience in metal work and electronics. She came to Living Craft with an interest and background in earthen construction. Now she is perfecting her skills with natural plasters and continuing to expand her building knowledge. She values working with her hands and maintaining ties to creativity in her job. She enjoys hanging out with dogs and riding her electric bike around Denver.

Gary is a carpenter, builder, and general jack-of-all-trades. Always tinkering and making things, he has been building professionally since 2018. Gary spends his free time on the farm, raising animals, fixing and building things, and spending time with his wife, dog, and two cats.

Brie came to Living Craft through Community Rebuilds. As an apprentice at CR she had the opportunity to learn about affordable housing and straw bale construction as well as organizing volunteers and mentoring build interns. Prior to that she got her start in natural building by spending hours stomping barefoot in mud on the Oregon coast- which is ultimately her happy place. In her spare time she likes eating everything, long walks to different parks, talking to other people’s pets in funny voices and making good/bad art.

Tori got into the crafts & trades through Bike&Build. She spent over a year in Moab building natural and affordable housing with Community Rebuilds. Plastering and base metal were her favorite days on site. Some of her interests are road biking, cooking and pottery. She would love to continue working with natural materials and fine detailing her crafts. She would someday aspire to keep her plants from wilting, but in the meantime she is trying her best.

Lady is still young, but she loves the job site atmosphere and is always excited to see everyone at our team meetings. She loves running around and playing with humans and especially other dogs. Lady is also a gentle and kind older sister to her family’s human baby.

Sprocket is our part time office/job site dog who spends the rest of his time barking at passersby and napping on the couch. His specialties are really enthusiastic greetings and play fighting.

Maki is the newest team puppy. She is a social butterfly who came to Colorado from a Gallup, NM. Maki likes all people, all dogs, all other animals, birdwatching, pretty much every toy, chewing on things, going to puppy class, and training.

Turtle grew up in the desert near Presidio, Texas and is still a little skeptical of city life. She hates everything about construction, including loud noises, cars, hats and most humans. She likes naps, chasing rabbits, and her frisbee.