The Blog

When walking through the neighborhoods of Denver, you may have noticed some of the sidewalks are more treacherous than others. There is definitely a varying degree of quality and upkeep for this pedestrian pavement. Up until now, it has actually been the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain and improve the sidewalks of the neighborhood. But now, Denver’s sidewalks have changed hands in management and control but still at the cost of homeowners. This is a benefit in many aspects, especially for property owners who were looking to build or make improvements to their homes.

It seems the trending interest in Accessory Dwelling Units is expanding past the Denver Metro Area. Arapahoe County is now proposing a new zoning regulation that would allow accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in unincorporated neighborhoods. The decision could be coming as soon as the Summer of 2023.

Land Developers face a large amount of regulation, code requirements, and scrutiny. Nothing is more apparent of that fact than the redevelopment and commercial construction project planned for Denver’s Park Hill golf Course. For years, the large property has sat vacant and unattended as developers change ownership due to complications in obtaining approval for its construction. Current land developer Westside Investment Partners have been in a years-long attempt to develop the 155-acre golf course. However, due to a unique conservation easement that has been maintained by the city and county of Denver construction has been at a standstill. The conservation easement states that the golf course will remain a golf course and operate as one. a current land developer wants to lift that easement to make way for more beneficial commercial construction projects such as additional housing and community development.

Lumber prices have been on a wild ride for the last three years. Since the pandemic hit, builders, homeowners, and investors have seen the US Commodity rise to astronomical prices. In 2021, lumber prices skyrocketed to $1,481.50 in May, the cause of this sudden increase was the fallout of the pandemic. A combination of supply chain woes and an unintended demand in housing and construction caused a demand far greater than anyone could have anticipated. Since then, we saw lumber prices fall and return to their previous highs in 2022. However, halfway through 2022 lumber prices plunged around 66% into the new year.

Looking back at the year, Sustainable Design Build saw its share of beautiful Denver homes. The SDB team has been super fortunate to work with amazing families and households in order to bring out the best in their properties. Through SDB’s design-build process, home remodels, home additions, and accessory dwelling units were built in all varieties in 2022. Let’s take a quick look at some of our 2022 projects and see the design-build difference.