Creative West has designs on Boulder’s needs

Jonathon Warner, principal at Creative West Architects, brings a unique talent to building projects in Boulder. He’s developed a knack for interpreting the city of Boulder’s building codes and regulations in a way that puts him in demand by investors, contractors and developers.

Warner has been building his business in Boulder since 2003, when he moved his office there from Boston. With a background in working on high-end, custom houses, he fit right in.

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Along the way, he also got involved in the local student housing market, and that’s when his knowledge of the city of Boulder’s codes started to grow.

“Myniche is in understanding the complexities of the city of Boulder’s zoning laws,” he said. “I’m a good mediator between client goals and the city of Boulder’s goals, and I’m able to work with the city, so everyone gets to achieve their goals.”

A lot of Warner’s clients are repeat customers in the student housing market. Projects range from single-family residential houses to larger apartment complexes. The houses include distressed properties that his clients buy to fix up and rent.

Warner credits his company’s business demand for being at the right place at the right time and meeting the right people. It helps that he also has combined experience in both development and construction, which gives him a broader understanding of what clients need.

One of the top reasons he’s sought out, however, has a lot to do with his ability to translate zoning requirements to keep customers coming back and his business moving forward.

“Even the simplest remodel now requires documentation that would be very challenging and time consuming for a homeowner to pull together on their own,” Warner said. “Every year, the process gets more difficult with more documentation required, so a fair percentage of our work becomes providing that documentation, filling out applications and strategizing on how to navigate the approval process.

“This, of course, means that it is advisable to retain an architect familiar with the city and its processes.”

Warner focuses on the necessity for all parties to approach projects as a team. He offers clients his track record as a skilled architect and his dedication to solving problems with an eye toward an appealing end product.

His ability to communicate ranks high in helping him do a good job for everyone involved.

“If I understand what everyone’s goal is, I can facilitate a path,” he said. “We’re all working toward successful completion of projects that are both safe and profitable.”