THE COTTAGE PROJECT™
Making Your Way Extraordinary
Building confidence, capability, and small homes — one skill at a time.
WHAT IS THE COTTAGE PROJECT?
The Cottage Project (TCP) helps people design, build, and live confidently
in small, beautiful, energy-efficient spaces — and in the lives they choose to create.
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By blending design, digital fabrication, and time-tested construction skills, TCP prepares participants for meaningful, hands-on work across small-scale building, fabrication, and applied problem-solving. In TCP, construction and making are not the end goal. They are the vehicle.
We’re not just teaching people how to build cottages; we’re helping them develop the confidence and capability to build their lives.
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The pilot program launches in Summer 2026.
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During 2024 and into 2026, we are building partnerships, prototyping curriculum, and shaping a model that turns creativity into capability—and capability into possibility.
WHY THIS MATTERS
TCP is designed as much for personal growth as it is for construction skills; the way we teach is as important as what we teach.
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Skill and Confidence Building
​Participants learn design tools, fabrication techniques, sustainable building methods, and foundational construction skills — while discovering their personal strengths.
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Whole-Person Growth
TCP emphasizes communication, collaboration, problem-solving, healthy living, and the confidence required to maintain one’s own space and future.
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Pathways to Self-Sufficiency
Participants gain practical skills relevant to home maintenance, fabrication, construction, trades, small-scale building, and mission-driven work rooted in community impact.
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Practical Problem-Solving for Real Needs
TCP sits at the intersection of housing, sustainability, and workforce development — helping participants move from idea, to action, to real-world outcomes.
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Where Design and Trades Come Together
We help grow the region’s talent pipeline by blending creativity, craftsmanship, and modern tools.
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Developing Capable, Confident Builders
Participants learn systems thinking and hands-on problem-solving that fuel confidence and lifelong capability.
HOW THE COTTAGE PROJECT COMPLEMENTS OTHER HANDS-ON TRAINING PROGRAMS
Across the country, many strong programs focus on larger-scale construction, academic advancement, and clear pathways into the building trades. These programs are essential and effective for learners who thrive in larger, fast-paced training environments.
TCP complements this landscape by offering a smaller-scale, highly personalized approach. In TCP, building is not only a technical skill—it is a way for participants to discover their strengths, express creativity, and develop practical problem-solving skills.
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Our model includes:
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micro-cohorts of 3–4 learners
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close mentorship and individualized pacing
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small-structure building and compact training systems
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meaningful creative choice within projects
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soft skills and self-care woven into every lesson
TCP starts with simple, hands-on projects that invite participants to make choices, explore ideas, and see their creativity take shape. As they design, build, and personalize their work, they gain insight into their strengths and how they solve problems. Technical skills grow from that foundation.
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Our 2026 pilot intentionally begins at a small scale to refine the process, strengthen mentorship, and ensure each participant has the space to grow. The long-term vision is to expand the program after the model is well-tested and ready to scale.
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TCP and larger programs share a belief in possibility. TCP offers a more individualized pathway—one that helps people build confidence, creativity, and capability step by step.
OUR INSPIRATION
TCP is inspired by the belief that small spaces can transform lives — not only because they provide shelter, but because they provide a canvas for learning who we are and what we can do.
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When Walter’s daughter, Celina, began building her own cottage at age 15, she discovered her strengths, built confidence, and found direction. She learned from 20 craftspeople, navigated real problems, and grew in ways no classroom could offer. Today, Celina is a steamfitter/welding foreman in Seattle — a testament to what can grow from mentorship, hands-on work, and a safe space to learn.​ Her story inspires ours: when you help someone build a home, you help them build themselves. Video presentation Celina made at 17 years old.
WHAT WE’RE BUILDING (2024–2026 ROADMAP)
2024 into 2026
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Building partnerships
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Prototyping curriculum in design, fabrication, construction, and trades foundations
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Weaving soft skills into every technical lesson
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Encouraging healthy living, communication, positive attitude, and self-management
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Building instructional trainers- including electrical, plumbing, and HVAC (mini-splits)
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Developing the full curriculum: technical skills, life skills, and personal capability
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Community outreach and early instructional models
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Structuring the pilot cohort and mentorship model
2026 Summer — Pilot Launch: Build Your Cottage, Build Your Future
Participants will build small cottages and furnishings while practicing real-world skills, teamwork, and personal responsibility.
Career exploration, workforce opportunities, and entrepreneurship options will be available — but not required.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
We’re currently seeking:
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University and school partners
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Designers, makers, and skilled-trades mentors
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Nonprofit and workforce development collaborators
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Early supporters and advisors
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Participants for the pilot cohort (curated process to be announced)
Let’s Connect → Monica & Walter
FOUNDERS
Walter Dill
Designer, artist, woodworker, social dance instructor, and visionary; 35+ years teaching creative skill-building and design thinking.
Monica Uhl
Business and social impact leader, designer, and dancer blending creativity, strategy, and community development.
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Together, they bring a lifelong commitment to helping people discover their gifts and build confident, capable lives. Their work with Talulah, their customized1956 Airfloat, reflects their dedication to craftsmanship, beauty, and transformation.
THE COTTAGE PROJECT + DILLUHLSIONAL
DillUhlsional is our creative studio dedicated to art, design, fabrication, and handcrafted work.
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The Cottage Project™ is our nonprofit initiative helping people gain skills, confidence, and direction through hands-on building, mentorship, and whole-person learning.
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Together, they create an ecosystem where creativity, craftsmanship, and community meet — and where people learn to build extraordinary lives.
CONTACT
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