Throughout Jim Bruner’s personal life and career he has served communities and the environment. An environmental advocate for years, Jim served 10 years as executive director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe. Currently, he works with a Sacramento law firm on governmental regulatory issues and is an active supporter of the UC Davis Lake Tahoe Research Station. A former original Village Homes resident, he secured property in the North Davis Farms development at its inception. North Davis Farms is an 11-acre residential development and one of the first with a conservation easement in the county. Years were to follow until Jim built what stands now on Northfield Court in North Davis Farms an architectural adaptation of the traditional territorial-style ranch home.

Territorial style goes back to the mid 1800s, when New Mexico was a United States territory before becoming a state in 1912. The territorial style is an architectural style developed in the Southwest after the arrival of rail travel. The rails brought in new building materials, such as metal for roofs and glass for windows, and better tools into the western states. By the 1850s the first sawmills were built, which reformed building technology by processing posts, beams and board. The style is often characterized by a low horizontal look with moderate to deep roof overhangs, straight lines, a variety of ceiling heights and exposed beams. Also, these homes are designed with an emphasis on the exterior landscape and courtyards for outdoor living.