Build Nashville champions a tradition of trust that luxury construction clients can count on
Build Nashville is a luxury homebuilder proudly serving Nashville neighborhoods with superior and quality construction. The team loves to push the boundaries on design and bring something different to the areas in which it works, with unique details and luxury finishes and features. With its integrated design-build process, Build Nashville offers a start-to-finish service that encompasses architecture, design and construction. The team also considers the surrounding community, caring about and committing to each and every project.
“Shaun Burroughs and I are co-owners, and we worked together at a boutique building development firm in Nashville for a few years,” begins Jamie Duncan, Co-owner. “We decided to start Build Nashville on our own 11 years ago this December. For the first three or four years, it was just the two of us but now we have 20 employees and have grown rapidly over the last two years. We’ve become the go-to custom luxury home builder in the area and currently have between 12 and 13 custom homes on the go alongside our market speculative homes that we are currently working on.
“We’re lucky to have a full in-house design firm with two full-time designers and a full-time admin, and we intend to continue to grow the business and transition into also having a full interior design offering,” Jamie continues. “Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for our clients going forward. We can help them find a lot, and get them connected with great architects, surveyors and engineers. We provide a full design and construction service, but alongside the construction selections process, we will also have another team under our umbrella, working with clients on interior furnishings. Furthermore, we anticipate starting a homeowner concierge maintenance service. After all, who better to have working on your home for years to come than the people who designed and built it?”
Forward-thinking mindset
Indeed, Build Nashville’s design-build approach provides a superior experience for clients, supported by honest, frequent and direct communication. With Build Nashville, clients get a straightforward and stress-free process with no surprises. The team is proud of its impeccable track record with clients who often become close friends due to a commitment to providing a trustworthy, transparent and collaborative experience. The company hopes to lay a strong foundation for a relationship extending well-beyond completion of a project.
“Like the rest of the country,” Jamie adds, “while we’ve seen something of a slowdown, there is still strong interest in Nashville real estate. People will always be affected by the wider economy and interest rate rises, however minimal, and this inevitably has an impact on demand, but that said, we’re seeing an influx of new residents from both the West and East Coasts.”
Finding the right lot in an ideal location is critical and the team at Build Nashville takes the time to explore the options, using its knowledge of Green Hills, West Meade, Oak and Forest Hills as well as the surrounding Nashville areas to ensure clients are building in a premium location that will appreciate over time and will accommodate their vision.
“We build in a range of styles, from traditional to contemporary, and are very careful about ensuring the architectural style integrates into the neighborhood and surrounding area,” Elena Desoto, Lead Designer, elaborates. “While we incorporate a wide range of styles in our homes, people do seem to be leaning more towards traditional, warmer tones currently.”
“In terms of trends,” Jamie continues, “we’re seeing more demand for single-level living, which tends to drive up costs and price points. As such, other builders may steer clear of those types of projects, but we’re always keen to do what others aren’t. We strive to think ahead, see what’s not being offered in the market and step in to fill that space.”
This forward-thinking mindset extends to the team’s approach to technology, as Milan Vladic, Assistant VP of Construction, explains: “I grew up in the construction field and several years ago moved to Nashville from California. I used to work for a firm that leveraged software platforms, however, those solutions didn’t feel intuitive to the construction sector. As such, I decided to learn how to program software to develop solutions tailored to our sector. When AI became more widely available, it felt like the final piece of the puzzle. I started building our AI assistant, Nash, which is essentially a digital assistant that can understand our requests and take action on them, with access to our project information including selections, budgets, schedules, and project communications. It’s like having a knowledgeable coworker available 24/7 who can instantly access and manage our data. I can simply text Nash something like, ‘Tell me what type of fencing we’re installing at this project and how many linear feet we have budgeted for,’ and Nash will check the selections documents for the fence type, then pull the quantities from our budget. We’ve integrated it with JobTread, our construction management platform, so Nash can operate its features directly. It’s been a long project in the making, but I’m excited to see how it really blossoms. I use it every day and it makes a real difference to have instant access to information and the ability to manage tasks through simple conversation rather than navigating between different systems. At some point further down the line, we hope to roll this out to our clients so that they too can interact with Nash to monitor project progress or check on their selections.”
High-end details
With several impressive homes underway at any one time, Elena goes on to share details of a recent project in Green Hills that hit new levels of luxury. “We integrated a lot of lighting technology into this project, as well as customized cabinetry. From the primary bathroom to the closet, the design involved multiple layers of luxury detailing.”
“This was for a repeat client of ours,” Jamie enthuses. “He trusted Elena implicitly and it was great to witness his enthusiasm and excitement. It means a lot to know that this client will be sharing his positive experience with other people who may be prospective clients.”
“We have another project nearing completion that, on the other end of the style spectrum, is more traditional,” Elena adds. “This property is absolutely stunning and incorporates multiple high-end custom details.”
“We also have our seven speculative homes that we’re currently working on,” Jamie shares. “All but one of these homes has a pool and the prices range from $2 million to $7 million. From poolside cabanas to Zen dens, the properties include wellness spaces that feel like resort living. We try to incorporate additional elements that promote wellness, such as lighting that supports the body’s circadian rhythm, for example. If people want to include smart home technology, then this can also be integrated into the design. We try to think about everything and incorporate high-end details into the space as seamlessly as possible.”
Cohesive operation
Looking to the future, Milan shares his thoughts on what’s next for Build Nashville. “I think we’re already a well-oiled machine,” he comments. “We have a great team and a great vision. I can’t predict what the future holds, but I know it’s good. We’ll continue to work on some great projects and do big things. We’re already a major player and I think we’ll go on to stand out even more than we already do.”
“We have recently implemented entrepreneurial operating system (EOS) training,” Jamie adds, “and our leadership team now works with an integrator to set future goals and work on moving the company forward. Our five-year goal is to get to 75 houses a year. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all those homes will be in the Nashville market; there are other markets that we are considering. I think the more we can get our systems and processes drilled down, the more repeatable our process will be, whether we carry out the construction ourselves or utilize a trusted local team.
“If we have a product that people are seeking out, then the sky’s the limit. We want to ensure we have the right people in the right seats and that we utilize people’s skillsets in the most effective ways. Milan’s a good example of this. He was a project manager for two years but about a year ago, he came to us and highlighted a disconnect in communication between the design team and the construction team. Milan now helps to facilitate better communication between the two teams.”
“We’re always striving to raise the bar,” Elena adds. “With our new leadership approach, the department heads are collaborating more closely, bridging gaps and resolving disconnects. I’ve always admired that spirit of continued growth and evolution.”
“We have a talented design team that understands construction,” Jamie concludes, “which helps to create a cohesive operation. The team understands the inner workings of our schedule and the strengths and weaknesses of our subcontractors, which helps to pull everything together, and this cohesion is reflected in our recent accolade of being recognized as the Best Luxury Developer in the Southeast.”