THE OLSON HOME
Custom Green Home made of Adobe & Reclaimed Wood
“Working with Todd was a creative “can-do” dream! When I started the project I thought I was building just a simple country house but with Todd’s ideas, expertise in so many styles and aspects of building - along with my sometimes wild ideas (to which he never said no!), together we created something quite stunning, unusual and artistic!
Todd surprised me daily with what he and his wonderful crew could create - a shapely adobe 16 foot gas fireplace in one room, a barn-wood electric stove made of wood collected on my property in the next. They created magical rounded walls, ceilings and doors, antique staircases, clay-porcelain plaster walls… and this is just the beginning!
One thing that was important to me about the process of the build was the overall “vibe” of the crew and subcontractors - would they have the same conscientiousness that Todd has? The answer is YES! They were all very cool people - and all craftsman in their own right.
Todd and his crew achieved an elegant look with a down-to-earth, rustic feel, and. . . and he did within a fair price!
I am simply enchanted with my new home and would recommend Todd in a heartbeat!”
Gayle Olson
THE EATON PROJECT
Custom Green Home made of Earthen Block
stacked stone detailing, adobe plaster and reclaimed wood
Todd built our custom earth block home in 2002 and we have lived in it ever since. We had architect plans, but as the building progressed Todd was knowledgable enough to be able to offer us minor changes as our thinking evolved. He was on site every day of the nearly two years and was great fun to work with. The house - all plastered inside, and using a lot of re-claimed lumber - has been a joy to inhabit. The quietness of the solid construction is a haven for our lives. Even 13 years later Todd is with us, working to patch minor plaster cracks and settling issues. He is a master builder as well as a friend.
The Eaton Family
Durango, Colorado
THE JAMES RANCH PROJECT
New green construction using wood, reclaimed materials, adobe, river rock,
and comprehensive energy efficient green building techniques
by BIOHAB BUILDERS.
contractors, builders, green builders, remodeling,Durango, CO
When friends heard that we were planning to build a new home (especially at our time in life) we were regaled with stories of frustration, mistakes, and financial complications. We were convinced it was right to build a small efficient home, so the stories were dismissed with the conviction that we would find the RIGHT general contractor to avoid the pitfalls of home construction.
Our decision to use Todd Swanson and Bio-Hab Inc. reflected our desire to use natural, energy efficient materials and systems, to stay small, and to work with a contractor expressing honesty, open-ness, and common sense. We also welcomed his artistic talent in designing and finish work using natural materials -earth plaster,earth floors, wood exteriors and more.
We began by working with a designer and Todd in our house design. Todd collaborated with the designer to not only make the design more beautiful and functional, but also practical to construct.
We are very pleased with the finished product and love our home. It was easy AND a pleasure to work with Todd. We appreciated his high standard sub contractors and lead men- not only were they professional, they were cheerful to have around! If we were to build again, we would certainly use Todd and his team at Bio-Hab Inc.
David and Kay James
James Ranch
Durango, Colorado
J & R. Puskas
A TRANSFORMATIONAL REMODEL
Our home is lovely and very functional after Todd replaced the old carpet with oak flooring, replaced the bathroom vanity with a nice teak topped with marble and vessel sinks, installed tile on bathroom floor, replaced toilets, replaced appliances with natural gas ones, replaced the venting system over the stove in the kitchen, installed glass tile backsplash in the kitchen, and built our beautiful gas fireplace with multicolored stones and Colorado sandstone mantle (very heavy). Finally, replaced old kitchen cabinets with new ones and installed the old ones in the garage.
Jeanine and Randy Puskas think that Todd is great!
Jeanine and Randy Puskas think that Todd is great!
THE GATES PROJECT
GREEN REMODEL BY BIOHAB BUILDERS
When we finally decided to realize our dream of gutting and remodeling our home of fourteen years, we asked Todd to help us with this project. Suffice it to say for such an epic project, I continue to be in awe of how smoothly and overall stress-free the journey of our remodel was for us – it was an absolute joy to work with Todd, his crew, and subcontractors.
From the beginning, as we would regularly visit the job site, the collaboration was supportive and productive. We needed to, and were able to work within our budget. Todd listens. We would walk around the house discussing how we live our lives, resulting with room designs which fit the needs of our lifestyle.
Todd is an artist and craftsman. He created a functional work of art designed for growing boys, animals, hardiness, comfort and exceptional enjoyment of all our views. Collaboration with Todd was easy, and I never felt, even up to the very last details and punch list, that I was an imposition – his desire to make sure we were fully satisfied was genuine. Todd’s conscientious care of the creation of our home was evident throughout the entire remodel.
Mimi Gates
County Rd. 205
Durango, CO
THE GREENLEE PROJECT
Featured in the book LIVING HOMES & BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS magazine
Dear Todd,
Many, many thanks for making our Cortez home so special. We could not have done it without you!
Best Personal Regard,
Bob and Diane Greenlee
"What really brought the Greenlee's vision and the architect's design to life was the keen insight of builder Todd Swanson. "Todd was a wonderful person to work with," Diane says. We invested a huge amount of trust in him and he was terrific."Swanson's contribution to the project went much deeper than hammer striking nail. Swanson builds with an earth-centered sensitivity to the surrounding environment and to the materials used in the structures he builds."
Budget, quality, attention to detail, scheduling, and lead time are all concerns when building a house. Biohab Builders exceeded our expectations at every level. Communication was seamless and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone wanting to build or remodel their home! M.Rosenthal
BIOHAB BUILDERS Green Builder and Construction in Durango, CO since 1991.
