Hunter Mantell-Hecathorn, president of Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, grew up working alongside his parents, learning about the construction industry. 

As a young man, around the age of fifteen, Hunter remembers being put to work and getting to help his parents with home renovation projects around their own house. As he, and his brothers, got older, his father Greg was weary of his three sons following in his footsteps. While the construction industry is steady, he advised them that there were many other careers in the world that weren’t so physically demanding. Even with these warnings, Hunter was intrigued by custom building and the gratification that came from building a home from the ground up.

Building Award- Winning Homes is both an art and a science. For Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, experience building custom homes in a variety of environments established a foundation for a long-standing legacy. 

In the 1970's, Greg and Tara Mantell-Hecathorn embarked on a home-building journey that would gain national acclaim when they founded Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, a construction company now based in Durango.

Durango Hereald
October 14, 2020

For the second year, Mantell-Hecathorn Builders has been selected as Grand Winner of the Department of Energy’s National Housing Innovation Awards. Local builders Hunter and Greg Mantell-Hecathorn, principals of Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, had the honor of receiving the highest award in the 2020 Custom Home for Buyers category.

To be considered for this award, a home must meet the technical requirements of the DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Homes program. Homes earning this recognition feature advanced levels of comfort, health, durability and are ultra energy efficient. The quality of homes built to this standard is ensured by rigorous inspections, diagnostics and checklists.

This home received a HERS score of 14, making it 86% more energy-efficient than most new homes built to code in Durango. It is also certified by the EPA for Healthy Indoor Air Quality, using non-toxic materials and providing continuous fresh air. This is the fifth year an M-H Builders home has received HIA recognition.

“A sneak preview to a 2015 Parade of Homes ENERGY STAR certified home. When Mantell-Hecathorn Builders start a project, they start down a strict path of procedures and verifications to ensure that the home is higher performance, more comfortable and longer-lasting than other homes built without certifications. And when they are finished, there is a healthy residence that is both elegant and practical.” 

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders Inc. are masters at turning dream-home visions into a reality — real homes that embody the elegance of the dream, as well as the details and practicalities of real life. The award-winning builders at Mantell-Hecathorn have had 38 years of experience exceeding the expectations of their discerning clientele while also standing steadfastly committed to their guiding principle: personal attention to detail, one home at a time.

At 190 Engineer Drive, the luxury fourbedroom, 3.5-bath home was lovingly constructed by the owners of M-H Builders and was just completed in 2013. Located at Durango Mountain Resort, 25 miles north of Durango, the 3,320-square-foot home enjoys a premier site in the Engineer Village neighborhood, Purgatory’s first single-family home development.

Directly across from the ski-area entrance, Engineer Village at Purgatory features 85 homesites bordering national forest and complete with paved roads, underground utilities, tennis courts, playground equipment and hiking trails. Custom signage, design controls and dark-sky ordinances set the area’s highest standards.

Homes in the Engineer Village neighborhood enjoy on-demand shuttle service to the slopes year-round, as well as all of Purgatory’s amenities. Included are the private restaurant, lounge, game room, outdoor heated swimming pool and facilities of the Durango Mountain Club.

A showpiece of innovative design and craftsmanship that takes full advantage of its setting, 190 Engineer Drive is a mountainmodern structure made in an architectural collaboration between the builders and Eccher Design and Planning LLC. Features include low-maintenance landscaping outdoors, as well as a two-car garage with added workspace and built-in storage. Oversize windows encompass the views and are triplepane Kolbe Energy Star for greater comfort and warmth.

Inside, the home opens to a great room, comfortable dining area, large open kitchen and a spacious master suite on the main floor. Custom finishes include hickory floors, alder custom cabinets and doors, and granite and Silestone counter - tops. The home is framed and engineered for adding an optional two-story elevator.

An homage to exceptional energy effi - ciency, the home is built to perform to the demands of its location at 8,900 feet in elevation, with 300 inches of snowfall annually and bracingly cool winter tem - peratures. The residence has a HERS rating of 44, given by a third-party verifier, which means it is 56 percent more energy effi - cient than a new code-built home. With airtight construction, higher insulation val - ues and structurally insulated panel walls, real-dollar utility savings are projected at $3,300 a year on energy expenditures. Energy-Star certified, with EPA Indoor Air Quality Standards also certified, the home boasts comfortable in-floor heat with a high-efficiency boiler.

Experts in the field of high-performance home building, Greg and Hunter MantellHecathorn are the first two of only three Master Certified Green Professionals in the state of Colorado.

With design and performance charac - teristics that ensure a legacy of quality for generations to come, this property at 190 Engineer Drive is a rare opportunity to buy a home by this exceptional builder and is offered for sale at $1,160,000.

Chris Bettin, Durango Mountain Realty, is the listing broker, with his website at www.durangomountainrealty.com. Also, www.m-hbuilders.com.

“The team of Tara and Greg Mantell-Hecathorn have been designing and building unique custom homes for 38 years...They arrived in Durango 7 years ago after building new homes in Fairbanks, Alaska for 13 years, and doing renovations, additions, kitchens and baths...” 

“Greg and Tara Mantell-Hecathorn ... toasted 34 successful years of operating their Custom-Design Build homebuilding business. Their dedication to excellence has been recognized by numerous awards, Including 2008 Built Green Colorado Custom Builder of the Year, 2008 Overall First Place in the Durango Parade of Homes, and the 2007 People¹s Choice Premier Award.” 

“When someone brings up Green Building, what comes to your mind? ... Actually, the phrase refers to a house or commercial space that has been built to standards higher than normal building codes.”

Green building/green energy, the catchy theme song of environmentalists for so long, is being hummed increasingly by government at various levels.

The extent to which public agencies are picking up the melody was outlined Tuesday at one of the 14 seminar/workshops sponsored by the Homebuilders Association of Southwest Colorado. The gatherings and 24 brown-bag lunches to be held throughout the year are the way incoming association President Greg Mantell-Hecathorn wants to bring homebuyers and remodelers, business owners and maybe some foot-dragging members of his own association aboard the "green future" bandwagon.

Building "green" means using renewable and nontoxic materials and striving for energy efficiency. The goal is sustainability - the utilization of resources and the planning of human activities in such a manner that there will be something left for future generations.

Outlining what their agencies have done were Eric Aune, La Plata County's community development director, Greg Hoch, the city of Durango's director of planning, Walt Serfoss, La Plata County's sustainability director, and Aileen Tracy, executive director of the Four Corners Office of Resource Efficiency.

In an interview last month, Mantell-Hecathorn said green building and energy efficiency are well received in theory but there have to be monetary and health incentives before they are put into practice widely. Once there is a demand for green, energy-efficient buildings they will be built, he said.

"We don't have to talk to the believers," Mantell-Hecathorn said Tuesday evening at the seminar/workshop held in the Strater Hotel theater. "We want to educate homeowners, business people and home builders, so get involved because we're taking off."

Serfoss said La Plata County actually began to invest in sustainability in the mid-1990s by opening a recycling drop-off station and switching out incandescent light bulbs for more energy-efficient ones. In succeeding years, the county created a hazardous-waste program, joined the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, conducted a greenhouse gas inventory, sponsored a scrap-metal recycling campaign and partnered with Tracy's organization to promote energy efficiency regionally.

"This year we're going to start a rural recycling drop-off point," Serfoss said. "The more we can educate people about sustainability, the more sustainable we become."

Aune said the county wants the word sustainability to become part of the everyday vocabulary. He noted that an 18-month process to develop a new comprehensive county land-use plan will begin soon.

"We'll be asking tough questions," Aune said. "How do you want La Plata County to look in 20 years? Do you understand LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)? How do we proceed with development?"

Aune said everyone's opinion is solicited.

"We don't want to ramrod this through," Aune said. "We don't want to do it without public input."

Tracy said 4CORE, as her organization is known, has a grant from the Governor's Energy Office - which it must match - to offer rebates for insulation and solar thermal panel projects.

4CORE is funded by La Plata County, the city of Durango, BP and La Plata Electric Association.

Hoch said city councilors want to move the community toward sustainability and that Assistant City Manager Greg Caton will lead the effort. Hoch then tore through a three-page list of possible sustainability-oriented requirements for builders.

Among the topics were lighting, landscaping, tree preservation, surface-water management, retrofitting of doors and windows, ground-source heat pumps, evaporative cooling systems, tankless water heaters, solar-thermal systems, locally sourced materials and radon mitigation.

Hoch didn't know what issues could arise, but he said he doesn't anticipate that builders would be forced to do something that doesn't make sense.

"We want to talk to you about issues," Hoch said. "We can probably agree on where we'll go together."

Hoch said that while his work has brought him into contact with builders for 15 to 20 years - "many times under duress" - it hasn't been a head-butting relationship.

"We don't see you in an adversarial role," Hoch said. "You are partners. When there's a problem, I hope you'll let me know."

“Ambitious Home Energy Efficiency: programs are launching in the midst of the toughest building environment in decades, with advocates predicting they can help builders emerge stronger than ever.”

BUILT GREEN® COLORADO CUSTOM BUILDER OF THE YEAR: MANTELL-HECATHORN BUILDERS, LLC

"Mantell-Hecathorn Builders has two very clear motivations in building Built Green® homes: to create change in the southwest Colorado building community and in public awareness of Built Green®, and to develop and own the unique niche in that market for high-performance Built Green® and ENERGY STAR® luxury homes. Mantell-Hecathorn Builders is clearly succeeding on both counts."

Green buildings are built with nontoxic materials to exceed normal building codes and enjoy high energy efficiency. The result is a structure that will last longer, cost less money to heat and cool than conventionally built homes, and offer a healthy living environment for its occupants.

Greg Mantell-Hecathorn is a local custom home builder, green building advocate and president of the Homebuilders Association of Southwest Colorado. “The bottom line is green buildings mean financial savings and the personal benefits of encouraging energy efficiency,” he said. “There are also obvious upsides to building houses without toxic materials.”

“This is the first of a two-part series that looks at "green building" efforts in La Plata and San Juan Counties. Like any new product in a given market when consumer education is critical for growth, the green-building industry is no different.” 

Greg Mantel-Hecathorn, Speaker
Presentation: Top 5 Reasons Why You Want An Energy Star/Built Green Home

“‘Green’ and ‘Sustainability’ are just two of the words in the green-build jargon that get abused...What is sustainability? What does green-build mean? Greg Mantel-Hecathorn, a leading expert on the subject, clears up the confusion for you... ”

Greg Mantel-Hecathorn, Speaker 
Presentation: Certified Green Building Programs and Techniques

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders recently completed and certified the first Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready custom home in the Painter Ranch Subdivision in the North Valley.

The home earned a Home Energy Rating System score of 48, making it 52% more energy efficient than the standard home built to current La Plata County code. Mantell-Hecathorn is committed to building every home to the strict guidelines of the DOE ZERH program and have completed and certified 20 homes since 2012 according the DOE Building Technologies Office.

More information can be found at www.m-hbuilders.com and www.energy.gov.

Over the past decades, natural disasters have increased in number and severity due to climate change. We need to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels to have a livable future for our kids. Heating, cooling and lighting contribute 28% of CO2 generated nationwide – the same amount as the transportation sector. Yet, while cars have had energy efficiency ratings for many decades, no such data is required for homes despite that buying a home is by far the greatest expense undertaken by families.

The catalogue of this year’s Parade of Homes starting on Sept. 23 and organized by the Home Builders Association of Southwest Colorado shows many beautiful designs and spaces to live in. But, it does not show that the need for energy efficiency and climate change is taken seriously. While rating systems have been available for decades, there is still only one home in this year’s catalogue that lists any energy efficiency data (built by Mantell-Hecathorn).

These days, shouldn’t all homes be rated? I am encouraging anyone visiting the Parade of Homes to ask builders, Realtors and the Home Builders Association to demonstrate their commitment to a livable future by providing energy efficiency data.

We are in this together, and for our kids’ future we must all do our part!

Werner Heiber, Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado

Local builders Greg and Hunter Mantell-Hecathorn recently completed and certified a custom home in Twin Buttes, holding their place in the top three high performance builders in Colorado committed to certifying 100% of their homes to the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program.

Every home built by Mantell-Hecathorn Builders is inspected and tested by an independent energy rater at various stages of construction and certified at completion. On average, homes built by Mantell-Hecathorn Builders are 50% to 100% more efficient than a new home built to code, saving the homeowners significant utility and maintenance costs over the life of the home.

This home earned a Home Energy Rating Score of 7, meaning it is 93% more efficient than a code-built home. Mantell-Hecathorn Builders was recognized by the Department of Energy in 2015, 2016 and 2017 as National Housing Innovation Award Winners. In 2019 and 2020, they were presented with the Grand Winner award from the Department of Energy. This home will be featured in the 2021 Parade of Homes in September.

More information can be found at www.m-hbuilders.com and www.energy.gov.

For the second year, Mantell-Hecathorn Builders has been selected as Grand Winner of the Department of Energy’s National Housing Innovation Awards. Local builders Hunter and Greg Mantell-Hecathorn, principals of Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, had the honor of receiving the highest award in the 2020 Custom Home for Buyers category.

To be considered for this award, a home must meet the technical requirements of the DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Homes program. Homes earning this recognition feature advanced levels of comfort, health, durability and are ultra energy efficient. The quality of homes built to this standard is ensured by rigorous inspections, diagnostics and checklists.

This home received a HERS score of 14, making it 86% more energy-efficient than most new homes built to code in Durango. It is also certified by the EPA for Healthy Indoor Air Quality, using non-toxic materials and providing continuous fresh air. This is the fifth year an M-H Builders home has received HIA recognition.

More information can be found at www.m-hbuilders.com and https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-experience.

The U.S Department of Energy has announced the winners of the 2019 Housing Innovation Awards. Local builders Hunter and Greg Mantell-Hecathorn, principals of Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, had the honor of receiving this award for the fourth time in the Custom Home for Buyers category.

For their home completed in the Glacier Club, Mantell-Hecathorn Builders were named the Grand Winners, the highest award in their category.

Homes receive this award by meeting the rigorous technical requirements of the DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program. Homes earning this recognition produce as much energy as they consume using a small, renewable energy system, such as solar, and offer better indoor air quality and long-term durability. Mantell-Hecathorn Builders certifies 100% of the homes they build to this standard.

More information can be found at www.m-hbuilders.com or www.energy.gov.

Greg and Hunter Mantell-Hecathorn recently completed and certified a custom home in Trapper’s Crossing that holds a place in the top 3 high performance builders in Colorado as part of the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program.

They are dedicated to incorporating design and building services with third-party certified healthy indoor air quality and utility savings beyond standard code-built homes. They were recognized by the Department of Energy in 2015, 2016 and 2017 as National Housing Innovation Award winners.

More information can be found at www.m-hbuilders.com and www.energy.gov.

The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced that local father-son team, Greg and Hunter Mantell-Hecathorn, principals of Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, were included among the nine winners in the Custom Home for Buyer category of its 2017 Housing Innovation Awards.

Homes that meet the requirements of the DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program are eligible to receive the award.

For more information, visit https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/housing-innovation-awards.

For Immediate Release: Durango, CO 
January 22, 2013

Mantell‐Hecathorn Builders Inc. announces the completion of an ENERGY STAR high performance custom home at Durango Mountain Resort with a projected homeowner utility savings of $3,300 per year.

This home received a HERS rating of 46 by a third‐party verifier, making it 54% more energy efficient than a new code‐built home.

The home features triple‐pane windows, tested air‐tight construction, higher insulation values and structurally insulated panel walls. Advanced building science knowledge is essential to the design and construction of this superior home. Principals Greg and Hunter are the only builders in Colorado to hold the Master Certified Green Professionals credential.

Mantell‐Hecathorn Builders, Inc., an ENERGY STAR Partner, has been building custom projects for over 38 years. They have developed a distinguished reputation for excellence, craftsmanship and service. Their work ethic, experience, commitment to their clients and leadership in certified energy efficient building have made them one of the most trusted builders in Durango.

For more information visit www.m‐hbuilders.com or contact their office at 970‐259‐ 5130.

For Immediate Release: Durango, CO
March 13, 2012

(Durango, Colorado—March 13, 2012) Mantell-Hecathorn Builders today is announcing that it is committing to build and label its homes to meet the new and more rigorous ENERGY STAR requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) for 2012.

“We’re proud to be making a commitment to continue building ENERGY STAR qualified homes in 2012, said Greg Mantell-Hecathorn. “By stepping up to the new requirements, we’re going to be offering customers state-of-the-art performance in our homes with a comprehensive package of features that deliver greater value, quality, and comfort than ever before.”

ENERGY STAR qualified homes that earn the label in 2012 will be built with a comprehensive, building science-based approach that features:

• A detailed package of home envelope air sealing, properly installed insulation, and high-performance windows to deliver comfort, durability, and lower utility bills.
• A high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation system, improving indoor air quality.
• ENERGY STAR certified lighting and appliances that help reduce monthly utility bills.
• Third-party verification, with independent inspections and testing by a certified Home Energy Rater.

About Mantell-Hecathorn Builders
Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, Inc., an ENERGY STAR Partner, has been building and remodeling custom projects for over 37 years. They have developed a distinguished reputation for excellence, craftsmanship and service. Their work ethic, experience, commitment to their clients and leadership in energy efficient building have made them one of the most trusted builders in Durango.

For more information visit www.m-hbuilders.com or contact their office at 970-259-5130.

For Immediate Release: Durango, CO
November 19, 2011

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders Inc. (M-H Builders) announces the completion of a custom home near Durango, Colorado that received the distinction of a Gold Level rating through the National Green Building Certification Program, as administered by the NAHB Research Center. This is the second home to achieve a Gold Level rating in the region. The first Gold Level home and the first Emerald Level home in the area were also built by M-H Builders. These certifications are measured against the best existing definition of green and sustainable construction, the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) - approved National Green Building Standard. Every point is verified by trained, accredited, third-party verifiers which provides assurance to both current and future homeowners of the real utility savings, greater comfort and lower maintenance of a certified home.

This home received a HERS rating of 61 by a third?party verifier, making it 39% more energy efficient than a new home built to code. The excellent HERS rating was achieved utilizing conventional energy sources. This same M-H Builders home achieved a 5-Star certification in the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program, and met the requirements for both the EPA Builders Challenge and the Indoor Air Quality Plus programs.

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, Inc., an ENERGY STAR Partner, has been building and remodeling custom projects for over 36 years. They have developed a distinguished reputation for excellence, craftsmanship and service. Their work ethic, experience, commitment to their clients and leadership in energy efficient building have made them one of the most trusted builders in Durango.

M-H Builders continues to be committed to higher standards of building and design for the community, and is the creator and a three year sponsor of the Sustainable Building Education Program of Southwest Colorado.

For more information visit www.m-hbuilders.com or contact their office at 970-259-5130

For Immediate Release: Durango, CO
Aug 19, 2011

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders Inc. (M-H Builders) announces the completion of a home on the border of Mesa Verde that received the distinction of an Emerald Level rating through the National Green Building Certification Program, as administered by the NAHB Research Center. M-H Builders is the first contractor in the area to build a home that achieved an Emerald level in the National Green Building Certification Program. The certification is measured against the best existing definition of green and sustainable construction, the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) – approved National Green Building Standard. Every point is verified by trained, accredited, third-party verifiers which provides assurance to both current and future homeowners.

This passive solar designed home with an active solar photovoltaic array received a HERS rating of 28, making it 72% more energy efficient. This same M-H Builders home achieved 5-Star certification in the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program, which also requires third-party verification of key energy efficiency components. M-H Builders is an ENERGY STAR Partner.

M-H Builders continues to be committed to higher standards of building and design for the community, and is the creator and a three year sponsor of the Sustainable Building Education Program of Southwest Colorado.

For more information visit www.m-hbuilders.com or contact Tara Mantell-Hecathorn at 970-259-5130

For Immediate Release: July 27, 2011

MANTELL-HECATHORN BUILDERS, INC. EARNS MASTER CERTIFIED GREEN PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS

[DURANGO, COLORADO, JULY 27, 2011] – Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, Inc. is pleased to announce Greg Mantell-Hecathorn, owner, and Hunter Mantell-Hecathorn, superintendant, have earned their Master Certified Green Professional (Master CGP) educational designations from the National Association of Home Builders, joining an elite group of professional home builders and remodelers who are experts in the field of sustainable construction. Greg and Hunter Mantell-Hecathorn are 2 of 16 builders in the country and the first Colorado builders currently holding this designation.

M-H Builders has been building homes for 36 years, and continue to further their education and research in order to provide better built custom homes of all sizes.

Master CGPs must have at least five years’ green building experience and have built or remodeled and certified at least three projects in a three-year period to a recognized local, state, or national green residential program to be eligible for the designation.

In addition, potential designees must successfully complete seven days of training on green building and business management as well as advanced courses that focus on green building science and project management.

The Master CGP training is conducted by leading building industry practitioners on the construction or renovation of a high-performance home. The curriculum includes techniques that incorporate energy, water and resource efficiency, improved indoor environmental quality, lot and site development and home owner education, always keeping cost-effectiveness in mind.

“We are delighted to be honored with these designations,” said Greg. “As Master CGPs, we can better serve home owners in Durango and southwest Colorado by providing more sustainable, livable homes.”

For more about Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, Inc., visit www.m-hbuilders.com. For additional information about the National Association of Home Builders’ green building program, visit www.nahbgreen.org.

For further information, contact: Tara Mantell-Hecathorn at 970-259-5130

For Immediate Release: Durango, Colorado
June 7, 2011

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders Inc. (M-H Builders) announces the completion of a home on the Animas River that received the distinction of a Gold Level rating through the National Green Building Certification Program, as administered by the NAHB Research Center. M-H Builders is the first contractor in the area to build a home that achieved a Gold level in the National Green Building Certification Program. The certification is measured against the best existing definition of green and sustainable construction, the ANSI (American National Standards Institute)-approved National Green Building Standard. Every point is verified by trained, accredited, third-party verifiers which provides much assurance to both current and future homeowners.

This same M-H Builders home achieved 5-Star certification in the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program, which also requires 3rd-party verification of key energy efficiency components. M-H Builders is an ENERGY STAR Partner.

M-H Builders continues to be committed to higher standards of building for the community, and is the founder and a three year sponsor of the Sustainable Building Education Program of SW Colorado.

M-H Builders enrolled in the extensive certification and verification process because the program considers the whole house as an integrated system, not just energy efficiency, and involves compliance with rigorous standards from design through construction to operations of the finished home. Certified homes have the potential to lower a home's operating costs, reduce maintenance, and provide a healthier, more comfortable living environment for homeowners.

For more information visit m-hbuilders.com • Contact Tara Mantell-Hecathorn 970-259-5130