We are young entrepreneurs. We are raising families and investing in our community. We are working hard to create beautiful, high-performance, homes and buildings which enrich the lives of their occupants.
We are inspired and motivated by the innovators in our industry – those who are leading the way through environmental stewardship and adopting change early, driven by a desire to make better buildings.
We are skilled carpenters and motivated business people, with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to excel in our business. We are passionate about building sustainable homes and buildings for a future of declining cheap fossil fuel energy. We use progressive building designs and techniques. We will continue to innovate, to think outside the box, to challenge the standards, to ask questions, and to learn.
We pride ourselves in remaining unusually accessible to our clients, and welcome you to reach out directly to any of our team members at any time.
Rane Wardwell
CFO, Co-Owner, head of production and installation
Rane oversees our shop and install teams, and focuses on how to make the hands-on work easier and more efficient, while paying the bills, planning for future growth, and sometimes sweeping the floor and stoking the fire too.
Rane brings a competitive sports, fine woodworking, and timberframing background to his work at Collective Carpentry, believing strongly that Passive House is a great forum to collect like minded, ambitious people that like to push each other to build better. Oh, and the climate crisis, that global existential threat…
People know Rane as the middle aged guy that tries to ride his mountain bike as fast as possible.
Jan Pratschke
CEO, Co-Owner, head of design
Jan oversees the design process and the production of all 3D models, shop drawings, cut lists, and install drawings for the shop and install teams, and as such is often the go-to person for our architect, builder, and engineering partners.
Jan brings a timberframing and business background to his work at Collective Carpentry, and is equally at home in front of a computer or on the jobsite. He grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and currently lives in Invermere with partner Jennifer, and sons Charlie (7), and Leo (4). He enjoys sailing, climbing, skiing the backcountry, riding his bike, and playing his accordion.
Tanya Savas
Technical Sales (Taos, NM)
Tanya is razor focused on what’s next for Collective Carpentry, helping connect us to opportunities with developers of small multifamily and institutional buildings. She navigates the worlds not just of high performance construction and Passive House design, but of real estate, finance, planning, and marketing, in regions from the Pacific Northwest and California to her home in the Rocky Mountain corridor.
An experienced communicator, Tanya brings decades of experience in marketing, brand building, strategy, and sales from a variety of industries, but it was her passion for being personally invested in contributing to the construction of high-quality, high-performance buildings that nurture our health, creativity, outlook, and connection to others that brought her to Collective Carpentry. A connoisseur of western classics and a student of philosophy and psychology with a masters in family therapy, Tanya runs a side hustle with her goats John Waters and David Lynch when she’s not reading, writing, skiing, or exploring her love for interior design – is there anything Tanya can’t do!?
People know Tanya for her raw, honest attitude, which she balances with a killer sense of humor and a generous helping of empathy!
Andre Lodder
Carpenter, Shop Manager (Invermere)
Andre works in the Invermere shop and aside from framing, insulating, airsealing, and quality control, also takes top notch photos of our work. He has recently stepped up into the role of Shop Manager, overseeing everything from staffing, procurement, and production productivity to logistics and quality control.
After studying photojournalism and getting a background in industrial concrete, Andre started carpentry work in 2012 and has been doing it ever since, realizing that he gets his affinity for precision from his dad, a finish carpenter. He lives in Radium with his dog and his wife Kelsey, where he enjoys rock climbing, disc golf and mountain biking.
People know Andre as a quirky, funny, positive team player who likes to get into the mountains and rocks some solid hairstyles, like his 2020 covid mullet and his annual Movember stash.
Jay Dubray
Carpenter (Invermere)
Jay does it all, from production in the shop building wall, roof, and floor panels, to install and other site work.
Hailing from Nova Scotia, Jay has been out west for 20+ years, where he’s lived in most of the big cities and many smaller ones, eventually getting his ticket from College of the Rockies in Cranbrook and building homes for a few years in Radium, before coming to Invermere where he enjoys spending time with his daughter and her dog. Jay’s hands-on and likes to build like it’s an obsession, but his obsessions don’t stop there – he’s a fanatic disc golf player who is signed up on the PDGA, and an avid skateboarder and snowboarder.
Craig Toohey
Marketing & Business Development
Craig is in charge of making sure the world knows about Collective Carpentry and that the shop stays busy. He focuses on the brand, partnerships, business planning, and sales from a remote office where he uses his phone and his computer to maintain contact with planet earth.
Craig studied entrepreneurship and business strategy at McGill University in Montreal, QC and gravitated towards high performance building after understanding that coffee is better kept hot in a thermos than on a hot plate. After admiring Collective Carpentry from afar during his time at 475 High Performance Building Supply, he knew when he left on an extended adventure to Mexico during a global pandemic that it was only a matter of time before he would inevitably get the chance to fulfill a dream of returning north to help take Collective Carpentry to new heights.
People know Craig as a saxophone playing, travel loving, bike riding, bread making, oven building madman with a passion for putting his mind and heart into existential challenges and good fun alike.
Debra Kotulak
Office Manager
Debra keeps our ship sailing, overseeing everything from human resources to accounting, legal issues, and more.
Debra was most recently the Housing Manager for the Kugluktuk Housing Society in Nunavut, and before that kept another ship sailing at Canadian Timberframes. Debra is a big fan of energy efficiency, which she counts as including proper floorplan design, questioning why so many designers put the kitchen as far away from the entrance as possible. She spends her time between Golden and Kimberley, enjoying knitting, walking and talking with her best friend, cooking dinner for her extended family, and looking after her granddaughter.
People know Debra as always being on the move, whether to Brazil, Italy, Trinadad & Tabaggo, or anywhere else her daughters go, while the daughters? They’d probably say people love her for her gravy.
Jeff Knievel
Panel Fabricator
Jeff is a super hard-working member of our shop crew who is working his way towards a carpentry apprenticeship. He brings his love for working with his hands and his enthusiasm for passive homes and other alternative construction techniques to the daily grind of all the work the shop produces.
Jeff grew up in Bienfait Sasketchewan and has an arts degree in religious studies and philosophy. Before joining Collective Carpentry he spent time as a ski patroller, landscaper, tree planter, youthcare worker, construction laborer, and several other work adventures, but came back to building because of the satisfaction he finds in it. He is an avid canoeist and kayaker, and enjoys canoe building (a single cedar strip canoe under his belt), wood carving, wine making, bread making, kombucha brewing, and maybe one day guitar playing.
People know Jeff for being a friendly, helpful, good listener in the neighborhood with a high shrill burst of laughter that can startle children and make dogs howl within a 3 block radius.
Aidan Pallesen
Panel Fabricator
Aidan is an experienced member of our shop crew who currently specializes in operating our advanced cellulose insulation blowing plate equipment, as well as detailing the air and weather sealing control layers of our insulated wall and roof panels before they get sent out for delivery.
Aiden grew up in New Zealand, setting out for a career as a scuba dive instructor before he made his way to British Columbia and eventually started his own food truck business. Aiden is a snowboarder, a disc golfer, and is inspired by the ambition to build more sustainable homes, in addition to just enjoying the process of building.
People know Aiden as that tall kiwi who would love it if you stopped by Allium Food Truck next time you’re in town!
Andy Reeb
Panel Fabricator
Andy works on the production line doing the structural and secondary framing, airsealing, and window buck and penetration preparation.
Andy grew up in Lemington, ON and came to Collective after studying carpentry at College of the Rockies and working as a Finish Carpenter with Cape Breton West. Andy currently lives in Fairmount Hotsprings with his beautiful wife and his dog Pepsi. He enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, and anything else outside, and when it comes to homebuilding, he loves getting to see and build other people’s ideas.
People know Andy for his keen ability to survive off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Craig Dolson
Panel Fabricator
Craig works on our production line, primarily pre-cutting material and framing panels.
Craig grew up in London, ON and studied Business Marketing at Fanshawe College before meeting Collective Carpentry through his work as a Driver with Columbia Valley Freight. He enjoys golf, snowboarding, hiking, and camping, and appreciates the opportunity to work with his hands and see a finished product.
People know Craig for his killer beard!
Jonathan Blanchard
Panel Fabricator
Jonathan keeps the pace on our roof and floor production line but staying days ahead of our framers on the pre-cutting line. He is a self-described "angle-finder, tent manager, and doc blanchard"!
Jeff grew up across Canada (between BC and QC), and was working as a farm manager in industrial scale farming before moving into the logging industry where he racked up 25,000+ hours as an equipment operator, certified faller, helipad builder, and buckerman. He believes it's important to build something that will last, to feel accomplishment in a challenge, and to take ideas and make them happen! He lives in Canal Flats with his wife and their dog Belle, and soon no longer their two grown kids hwo are getting ready to fly up out of the nest. Jonathan is an outdoor enthusiast, enjouying Kayaking, camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting, and thrives on creating things, from carving to blacksmithing, and cooking awesome food with his smoker.
People know Jonathan for his carving prowess, being a hardworker and professional, and for living by the motto, "Life is hard, but we are going to laugh when we're at it!".
Matt Cullham
Panel Fabricator, Shop Manager
Matt is a driven, talented, Jack of All Trades member of our production team, and manages the day-to-day operations at our newest production facility.
Matt grew up between Spruce Grovew, AB and Beeton, ON, and lives in Invermere with his wife Beth and their two children. Before joining Collective Carpentry, Matt earned his Bachelor of Education at the University of Windsor and his Bachelor of Outdoor Education Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University, followed by a great decade (and change) teaching shop at a high school in Sioux Lookout, ON. He enoys paddling, biking, sking, and desigining and building awesome energy efficient homes.
Though you'll most often see Matt sporting a baseball cap, people know him for his hair!
Nathan Wideman
Panel Fabricator
Nate works on our production line, where he brings a great attitude and a strong carpentry background to his work.
Nate grew up in Papua New Guinea, and studied Paramedicine at the Justice Institute of BC before studying Carpentry at North Island College. Nate most recently was building high performance homes for another company in Invermre before he joined Collective. He lives in Dry Gulch, BC with his wife and 2 kids and is an avid skier and biker. When it comes to building homes, Nate enjoys a new challenge and the principle of always striving for the highest quality.
People know Nate for "Nate Facts", a testament to his strong conviction in everything he does.
Tyler Bessette-Perrin
Panel Fabricator
Tyler is a member of our shop crew, working as a carpentry apprentice.
Tyler grew up in North Bay, ON and studied Culinary Arts at Canadore College. After a career as a chef, he found himself inspired to build homes by his grandpa and the feeling of accomplishment in seeing the fruits of your labour. He enjoys snowboarding, golf, and playing goalie.
People know Tyler for his work on the slopes and for being a connaisseur of that fine liquid gold we call beer.
Tyson deJong
Panel Fabricator
Tyson works in our production shop, primarily with insulating, wrapping, detailing, and storing/loading panels. He is at the time of this writing finished with 3 of 4 levels towards his red seal in carpentry, having completed his first two years at VIU in Nanaimo and his third at COTR in Cranbrook.
Tyson grew up grew up all around BC and Alberta, but mainly in Terrace and Gabriola Island. He lives in Invermere with his folks and two pups, and while he misses the days when he used to go to the beach almost every day of the week while living on the west coast, he likes getting up into the Purcells to both ski and snowboard. Tyson is a very hands-on person, and loves the thought of getting to build someone's forever home, even if means getting hands beat up.
People know Tyson for his skill in various sports, but you might also know him for a particular penchant for playing pool as of late!
Nate Sweeters
Carpenter, US Install Team
Nate is quickly becoming a leader on our US install team, bringing his long experience in fine homebuilding to each and every install.
Nate and Paul have known each other for over 30 years, both coming from long family traditions of fine homebuilding in Santa Cruz. Nate has worked in general construction for over 20 years, and brings a level of attention to detail, experience, and enthusiasm that is essential to what we do best.
Nate loves camping, hiking, and surfing, and is an accomplished drummer and skateboarder, and all-around sweet guy.
People know Nate for his favorite drink which is hands down, iced tea.
Heather Mott
Designer & Passive House Consultant
Heather is our in-house designer and Certified Passive House Consultant. She creates pre-designed plans, runs energy modeling analyses, integrates the Collective Building System into custom designs, and occasionally brings her muscle to panel installs.
With a passion for buildings that promote the health of the occupant and the environment, Heather is a Passive House devotee. She believes that homes built with an understanding of thermodynamics are the most livable, durable, and beautiful.
Heather lives in Seattle with her partner, Penton, and their dog, Zoe. When not tinkering with floor plans, she can be found chasing Zoe out of garden beds and sailing the Puget Sound.
Mike Mitchell
Carpenter, US Install Team
Mikey is a key member of our US install team, having been on most of our US installs since September of 2021. He brings deep carpentry experience, a B.S. in Construction Management from Cal Poly in SLO, and an organized, detail-oriented approach to the complex work of installing panels and other structural parts.
Mikey is inspired by the ability to take an idea and bring it to life through architectural plans, 3D modeling, panel fabrication, and install. He believes that prefab is a truly incredible type of construction, which he is reminded of time and again when he helps these structures go up in just 5 days on site.
In his spare time, you'll find Mikey playing soccer or rugby, or watching movies or reading a good book. When it comes to unicycles and reading a book in one sitting, Mikey's got skills for both!
Dan Maddalena
Cadwork Modeler
Zak Glover
Senior Installer, Cadwork Modeler
