PLACELAB Development

01 · High-Performance Developer

Homes and buildings designed to cost less to own.

PLACELAB Development™ is taking on its first custom homes on city lots and small commercial buildings across the Texas Triangle (Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston) and in Birmingham, Alabama. Every project targets the world's strictest energy standard. The goal: energy bills near $75 a month instead of $250 (PLACELAB target).

60%
Less energy than a code-built home (PHIUS 2021)
$700–900
Energy cost per year — vs. ~$3,000 typical (PLACELAB target)
2.7–9%
Resale premium for certified efficient homes (Freddie Mac 2019; Kok and Kahn 2012)
$15,000
Average resale premium for owned solar (Berkeley Lab 2015)

02 · What we do

Three things. Done well.

01

Custom Infill Homes

We design and build single-family homes on urban lots inside the city. Infill means we build where the streets, pipes, and power already exist — real neighborhoods, close to work and schools. Strong insulated panel walls. Geothermal heating and cooling. Rooftop solar with battery backup. Your home stays cool in August and keeps the lights on in a storm.

See how we build homes →

02

Construction Management Services

We offer construction management and supervision for homes and small commercial buildings. Our leadership is trained in architecture and has worked on schools, healthcare, civic, and multifamily projects. Once a contract is signed, we bring in licensed trades for the job and oversee the schedule, budget, and quality through close-out.

See construction management →

03

Commercial Development

We develop small commercial buildings — offices, studios, shops, and mixed-use — for owners who care about operating cost. Research on green-certified buildings shows they earn about 3% more rent and sell for about 16% more (Eichholtz, Kok, and Quigley 2010). We bring that math to neighborhood-scale buildings.

See commercial services →

03 · Why it pays

Better buildings are worth more. The research is clear.

Building to a passive-house level costs just 1.4% to 2.8% more (Phius 2021). But buyers pay 2.7% to 5% more for energy-rated homes (Freddie Mac 2019) — and up to 9% more for green-labeled homes in one study of 1.6 million sales (Kok and Kahn 2012). Owned solar adds about $15,000 at resale (Berkeley Lab 2015). A Texas study found the same premium here, in the first city in America to require green building (Aroul and Hansz 2012). Small extra cost. Large extra value. That gap is our business model — and your gain.

See the evidence

04 · The moment

In a buyer's market, the better home wins.

Texas is the most buyer-friendly housing market in years. The price gap between new homes and resale homes has fallen to about $15,500 — a record low (TRERC 2026). When new homes must compete on price, the one with $75 power bills and storm-proof comfort stands apart.

05 · What we intend to build

Examples of the homes we plan to build.

Caroline Lofts

Concept study: sixteen rental homes on one infill lot.

See the concept →

MacGregor Grove

Concept study: a mixed-price neighborhood of about 100 homes.

See the concept →

Examples only, not active projects. Details on the Homes page.

Have a lot, a project, or a question? Talk to us.

Contact PLACELAB