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Design Build’ s developments now sit in the $ 750,000 –$ 1,500,000 range, which Thomas describes as“ effectively entry-level” for Austin.“ Many people simply cannot afford multi-million-dollar homes, especially with interest rates as high as they’ ve been,” Thomas continues.“ Our thinking was: can we lean into the creative design side we love and bring it to those who ordinarily couldn’ t afford contemporary design, custom home details, and cutting-edge technology, at a price point they can reach? That’ s the business and the mission.”
Smart solutions
The infill home builds that Joseph Design Build specializes in sit between production building and custom home building; still within the city, situated in existing neighborhoods which usually means demolishing an older home and starting fresh.“ It’ s a genuinely complicated form of building,” Thomas acknowledges.“ You’ re more constrained with houses on either side of you, your sites are spread across the city rather than concentrated, and you also face far more zoning and permitting constraints but it’ s where housing is most needed.
“ In Austin, for example, there are strong environmental protections, varied site conditions and sites scattered throughout the city. However, you’ re building in neighborhoods with very high demand, for people who don’ t want to live 30 minutes out in the suburbs, but who aren’ t ready to spend millions building something custom. Infill housing solves that problem.”
Setting it apart from competitors, Joseph Design Build’ s high-quality modern homes boast space efficiency, well-lit houses and biophilic design; using landscaping to create views through windows. Externally, it uses materials less likely to deteriorate in the Texas heat and, when it comes to technology, the firm
We realized that by going directly to quarries and manufacturers for stone, tile and countertops, then shipping and warehousing that material ourselves, we can bring costs down enough to put higherend materials into more approachable homes
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