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When we started building our ADUs we were on a steep learning curve.  We looked for companies from which we could learn about building a cottage in a “factory” and transporting it and installing it at a residential site.  We discovered that USModular, Inc. is the preeminent Factory Built Home Builder in California.  We toured their factory in San Jacinto, CA twice.  We watched USModular install their homes on permanent foundations in Canoga Park and La Mesa to see how the pros do it.  So, when we asked USModular for help, we were thrilled when they quickly said Yes!  USModular will [...]

July 17, 2020 (Source: San Marcos Unified School District Website) Dear SMUSD Community, Earlier today, Governor Newsom ordered that all schools in counties located on the state’s COVID-19 County Monitoring List “must not physically open for in-person instruction” until certain conditions are met, namely, that their county has come off of the state’s Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days. As of Friday, 33 of California’s 58 counties are on this list, including our own San Diego County. As a result, San Marcos Unified District schools will open the 2020/2021 school year with a fully remote learning model. In addition to announcing [...]

We are grateful to the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for awarding us another grant of $4,000, which is in addition to a $5,000 grant that we received from Weyerhaeuser in November 2019.  One of the focus areas of the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund is supporting affordable housing and shelter for those in need. Lana Bru, Finance and Planning Manager for Weyerhaeuser’s Southwest & Southern California Region, said “the Warrior Village Project is an organization that aligns with our focus.  We are proud to support the work they do, helping those who are in great need, our local homeless veterans, while also providing home [...]

JAAM Electric is an active member of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County.  So, when Mike McSweeney asked Nichole Weinman, General Manager of JAAM Electric, for help with our cottages she was quick to say yes.  JAAM will be donating the electrical materials and installing the electrical system in both of our cottages.  Our intent was to have our students ‘shadow’ JAAM’s skilled electricians to learn more about their trade.  Billy Russell, one of our graduating seniors, plans to go to trade school to become an electrician.  Unfortunately, with the campus closed to students, Billy won’t have this experience.  [...]

Doug Williams started WillCalc with a mission to assist in bringing clean, comfortable, energy efficient systems into the local environment, believing that each of us should make a contribution to a better world.  In addition to 30+ years as a licensed building contractor, Doug has been a Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) since 2007, and a California Certified HERS Rater since 2005.  He has used his expertise to help Michael E. Robinson design an energy efficient cottage to California’s 2016 Building Code energy standards in a cost-effective manner.  He has also advised us on the more stringent 2019 energy standards that will [...]

On June 11, Department Head, Joseph Lucido, and Adjunct Professor, Riccardo Ferguson, from the Department of Architecture at Palomar College accepted the Architectural ‘baton’ from Michael E. Robinson.  Joseph will be our Project Architect and Riccardo will be our Architect of Record for future Warrior Village Project cottages.  Joseph has big plans for increasing the involvement of his students in the Warrior Village Project and growing the relationship between Palomar College and our participating high schools.  We are really excited about our growing collaboration with Palomar College.  Meet Joseph and learn more about the Palomar College Department of Architecture through this [...]

Michael E. Robinson has volunteered considerable time as our Project Architect and Architect of Record for our first two cottages being built at San Marcos High School.  We are very grateful for his contribution to our program.  We could not have accomplished what we have without his expertise and guidance.  On June 11, Chris Geldert presented a custom crafted thank you plaque to Michael for his support of our students and our veterans.  After two years of hard work, Michael passed the Architectural ‘baton’ to Department Head, Joseph Lucido, and Adjunct Professor, Riccardo Ferguson, from the Department of Architecture at Palomar [...]

Each cabinet in a kitchen is assembled with a variety of hardware pieces that hold the individual cabinets together, and connect them together into a beautiful wall of furniture.  Wurth Louis and Company donated all of the  hardware for our cabinets, including all of the fasteners needed to assemble and install the cabinets: #7 5/8” wood screws; #8 1”, 1-¼” and 2-½” wood screws; 1-¼” and 1-½” 18 ga. crown staples; Euroscrews; Fastcap PVC screw cap covers; 1 mm PVC edge banding, and; 3M Fasbond contact cement. No kitchen cabinet would be complete without decorative hardware from Wurth Louis and Company. [...]