Colt Bender, PE - Engineer 

Colt’s life in engineering has advanced from Legos and blanket forts to concrete canoes and steel bridges while pursuing a structural engineering degree at University of California, San Diego, and working as a research assistant at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.                

Colt has always been interested in the connections between environment, resources, and the built environment. Following these interests, Colt pursued a Master’s degree program in Natural Hazard Management in Taiwan and developed a healthy respect for the complexity of our dynamic world. After completing the program, Colt found a home at Verdant Structural Engineers, where he strives to develop as an engineer and advocate for more sustainable materials and design. In particular, he enjoys the challenge of finding avenues to incorporate rapidly-renewable materials into conventional construction (such as: straw-panels, earthen blocks, and prefab elements), in order to make common sense alternatives more palatable, cost-neutral, and eventually more widespread.                    

When not doing his best for the company and clients, Colt may be found on a bicycle, learning printmaking, or watching with fascination as his dog (part goat?) grazes on tall grass.