Kyle Williams

Dear @movesafedurham, more modal filters please! open.substack.com/pub/eriklandfr…

Really cool to see a Durham-area bio-based construction materials company find success! With the big DR Horton deal they just signed, hopefully we'll be seeing these panels all over soon. Thanks to Jed's Top Five for featuring this! axios.com/local/raleigh/…

@trappology I like that floor tile! Reminds of this street artist in France: instagram.com/_blackdoors_/

Sorting out tile & marble details on this guest bath shower

@dfkenn So good.

Timeline cleanse

@tjhennessey Looking good! What a transformation for that corner.

One more level up to go!

@stangeorge These are great insights. Thanks for sharing. We are shooting for a more “attainable” price point on our current build and having to question ourselves a bunch on what we like vs what makes sense for prospective buyers. I’ll be referencing this list!

Saw a social media ad for a local builder who has a large following, and is selling a course. The backdrop to his video ad was him showcasing one of his builds, and I counted 3 different house wraps pieced together on the porch alone. Nice. I started in this business set out to build quality spec homes for the entry level price point. It's been an experience learning what that buyer pool cares for, and doesn't care about. I've eventually had to realize that I'm not building this house for myself, but am building it for the market. Some of the competition builds absolute garbage structures, so some finesse is required to not lose my soul, and still build a quality product that I have to feel comfortable with. I enjoy sleeping well at night. Extra things I cared about, that buyers don't care about: - OSB over T-ply sheathing - Tyvek WRB vs woven Home Guard - Better windows (tilt sash, higher energy ratings) - Double-flashing windows - Lexel caulking at bottom plate vs polyseal - Prewiring ethernet and security - Spec'ing better aggregate in the concrete mix - Using 2x6 studs on all exterior walls - Tankless water heater - Spec'ing Trane HVAC system - LVP w/ thicker wear layer - 1-1/8" subfloor vs 3/4" - Class 4 rated shingles vs Class 3 and below - Spec'ing a basic-function shower fixture from a reputable brand w/ a better quality valve - Including drain inlets, and gutters, that are all tied into an underground drainage system - Kohler toilets over HD's Glacier Bay - 3rd party-insured structural warranty vs builder-backed warranty - Yellow pine baseboards over MDF - Oil based paint on trim/doors vs water based Extra things I didn't care for, that buyers love: - Trendy tile that I know will be dated in a few years - 12' ceilings (Ok maybe I like this) - Including a fridge with that dumb see-through feature - Frameless Euro-style cabinets made of particle board - No-name shower fixture w/ bells and whistles - Including a $100 Nest thermostat w/ the terrible app I've tried educating on the integrity of the comprehensive home, but I've found that after having to consistently match the price/concessions of my competition, the contract comes down to dollars and aesthetics.

@jwf_3 Very interesting. Is that the same issue that's slowing things down in East Durham? wral.com/news/investiga…

@mwmoedinger I love these studies. It's really eye-opening to see all the possibilities in a space (and the gap between what I can imagine and what you—a professional—can). Thanks for sharing.

Floorplan fixes: Boston triple decker edition! Triple deckers are all over Boston - one apartment on each floor, with a central bearing wall [dashed line], two stairs, and usually a few chimneys going thru the whole building. Here's how I'd redo this one, in 3 different ways:

and some 100+ km of runs with views of Mont Blanc. No sitting in traffic, no worries about being stuck in a snowstorm, able to play cards with the kids and read books on the way... this really is the best way to travel!

Just outside the train station, a gondola whisked us up to the village of Saint Gervais les Bains — a real town with grocery, shops, restaurants, pharmacy and plenty of cabins for rent. From that same gondola station, it was a 10 minute ride up to the slopes...

From our front door to alpine ski slopes by public transit — no cars needed! The infrastructure in France really is incredible in this way. From our apartment, we grabbed a short metro to the Gare de Lyon, then a TGV straight to the mountains.

@jasonc_nc New LDC just postponed indefinitely... :( Good news is that particular parcel is almost 100% owned by the neighboring church. Maybe there is an opportunity for wrangling the SCAD provisions here. Definitely a great cottage court is possible!

@williamskylew You could pull this off in Durham

Wouldn't downtown Durham look great with a courtyard apartment building? There are acres and acres of parking lots just begging for something like this. This particular spot is over 2 acres and has been a parking lot for at least 30 years.

@RecklessRoxboro Now if we could just calm the traffic in that area…

@williamskylew Quite literally yes to this in my backyard!

The new LDC has this zoned as CX-5, which would go pretty far to allowing this by right with a 5 story base height, no setbacks, and no density limits.

Instead of housing cars and creating stormwater issues, we could house 150 families here and give them a 1-acre greenspace to enjoy, just steps away from the center of town and with great transit/biking connections to the rest of Durham.

@TannerBuilds @ZiaTileUSA Love the colors! Have any photos of them from your builds?

Four tiles I’ve been in love with lately

@resetbasis Thanks for writing this—very worth reading. I feel like changing that one line to "one house, two house, red house, blue house" would really put a bow on it.

Does the new UDO/LDC legalize this by right on every bus corridor to support our fare free @GoDurhamTransit ridership @mayorofbullcity, @Javiera4Durham, @carlfordurham, @NateBakerDurham, @Shanetta4Durham, @mattfordurham? Looks to be RX-3 or CX-3?

@RecklessRoxboro Link to Chris's article in CityBuilder below. buff.ly/puSSHsS

@RecklessRoxboro It's been such a contrast to see how French housing is located in places that facilitate life outside of the home and how rules here do align better with the values of equity and freedom for all. I hope Durham's new UDO (LDC) can nudge the city in this direction.

I haven't thought about filling a gas tank since last summer. Same for oil changes, tuneups, car insurance, and parking. And I haven't paid a dime for those or any of the dozens of little extras that car ownership costs mosts Americans every month.