Doris Faltys was born in Owosso, Michigan.   She graduated from Central Michigan University with a BA in Art Education and a BFA in Ceramics and Metal-smithing.  Continuing her studies, Doris attended The University of Denver, Colorado, where she focused her attention on fine arts, working towards an MFA in Ceramics.  Doris then took the unique opportunity to live in a small mountain cabin in the Colorado Rockies.  There, while attending a Blue Grass street dance, she met her future husband, Barrett Burr.

Together Doris and Barrett worked in Colorado, Maine, and Idaho, with various youth programs that incorporated wilderness training, life skills guidance and counseling, art, and academics.  To satisfy a need for community and create a strong family environment, Doris and Barrett made a permanent home in Olympia, Washington, where they established Polar Bear Construction in the fall of 1985.  They built their first home, the house they still live in today, in 1988. 

Barrett spends a great deal of his time on the job site, overseeing project managers and subcontractors, and keeping things moving.  Doris works in the office, keeping the books and business organized.  They both take to the wilderness as often as possible for family fun, back packing, hiking, cross-country skiing, snow camping, bird watching, photography, drawing, and anything else nature’s beauty has to offer. Doris and Barrett have strong beliefs in family and community involvement, as well as in environmentally conscious building.