On The Road Again: What We Learned at the Building Forward Collaborative
A1DesignBuild is a designer and builder of homes in Bellingham and Whatcom County, Washington. We specialize in everything from home remodels to complete high-performance home builds, and our over 70 years of providing excellent service to the community assures that your home project gets done right - each and every time.
We’re lucky we get to work with some wonderful people, from our clients to the people who show up to build things with us everyday. But let us not forget the other good companies like ours also doing really good work, and when we can get together with them, it’s an absolute bonus.
This past week, we took a little road trip down to the Portland area for the Building Forward Collaborative - a group of forward thinking companies who are always asking ‘how can we do things better’. The group is also Triple Bottom Line focused, which means it emphasizes People and Planet, right alongside Prosperity for all.
This year, participants included:
Dream Home Building and Designs
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The Takeaways that we learned about Building and Design
Here’s some main take-aways we got while working alongside the people in the Collaborative:
My main takeaway was how, despite challenging times and a slowdown in business leads, the group is leaning on each other to share resources, industry knowledge, and support. There’s a genuine willingness to help, more than compete. It feels like we’re navigating uncertainty together with shared values and thoughtfulness. - Justus
A few things stood out to me. One was how someone framed the impact of tariffs—it was eye-opening. They broke down how only a small percentage of a project’s cost is actually affected by tariffs, especially when you consider that labor makes up about 50% and is entirely local. That final number—only about 12%–15% being tariff-impacted—puts things in perspective.
Another moment that resonated was hearing how one company leveraged the dynamic between two very different team members: one highly experimental, the other very risk-averse. It made me appreciate how valuable that kind of internal balance can be. I see that dynamic in our company too, and I hadn’t really seen it as a strength until now. - Maggie
I was struck by how open everyone was in sharing their systems and processes. Even the more tech-savvy companies with refined workflows were generous with their knowledge. Every time we meet, there’s a little something that helps us improve. The name “Building Forward Collaborative” really fits—this is about affirming that we’re not alone, and that we’re doing meaningful work, side by side. - Shawn
This was my first time meeting everyone, and even in uncertain times, it felt positive and inspiring. The current state of the world makes me—and probably our clients—feel hesitant and anxious about big investments. Being in a room with people who understand that and are also navigating it was oddly comforting. It felt good to brainstorm ways forward, not just for ourselves but for our clients too. It was a reminder that, together, we’re capable of doing amazing things, even now. - Adriana
The big takeaway for me; these gatherings let us talk about our work in relation to others in the field, and that’s incredibly validating. We don’t always realize the value and impact of what we do until we see it reflected back through the eyes of our peers. - Patrick
It feels exceptionally good to be working with so many caring and smart people. The best business advice out there might be just caring for the person next to you, and focusing on creating value. The rest will take care of itself.