About SunBear
SunBear is a small custom home and remodel company based out of Silver CIty, New Mexico. Like all businesses we want to be successful. But our definition of success includes not only high quality design+build service but also a commitment to environmentally and socially responsible building practices that cause less harm to the natural world in which we live.
We are:
Passionate about the environment.
Dedicated to uncompromised quality.
Keep our ethics and principles in the design and build process.
Take the extra time and effort that makes the difference.
Sharing our knowledge on products and design that creates a lighter carbon footprint and more beautiful home.
Brian has an MFA in painting from the University of Arizona. After graduation, he taught painting and design at the University of Arizona and the University of Idaho. He is married to Jennifer Douglass, his partner at SunBear. She also holds an MFA in painting from the University of Arizona and is an Assistant Professor in Painting and Drawing at WNMU. Jennifer has significant expertise in sustainable design and helps Brian with interior design work.
Brian and Jennifer are passionate about making a meaningful difference in the ongoing housing dilemma faced by contractors and developers who often overlook the significant environmental impacts of their construction practices. They both possess a deep understanding of how form relates to function, as well as the intricate relationship between architectural design and the surrounding environment. This critical perspective is rarely considered in the building trade, as most builders are primarily focused on constructing the largest possible houses using the least expensive materials in order to maximize their profits.
Being sensitive to rural and urban growth problems, Brian decided the most important thing he could do with his talent was to offer an alternative to the housing dilemma. His intention was a well designed energy efficient house that was well crafted and caused less stress to the environment. The result is an aesthetically beautiful and healthful place for his clients to live.
As an artist, designer and especially as a builder, Brian brings his meticulous sense of detail to every project creating highly crafted houses and remodels. Over the years, both Brian and Jennifer have developed an extensive knowledge on what works in our desert climate that best utilizes materials as well as siting of your home. They feel that in the building trade is where they can make the biggest difference in the way the public perceives our role in the environment and interacts with it on a daily basis.
