We are very happy to offer Austin our design build remodeling experience for residential renovations!
We love what we do and it shows!
Please contact us to find out more about our Whole Home Assessment, and Project Phasing!
Hello Neighbors! We here at Kinfolk are ready to help you make your dreams for your home become a reality! From concept to creation, we team up with you!
Starting with our offer of a Whole Home Assessment, we look at necessary maintenance and repairs as well as all those improvements you want to bring about inside and outside your home. Sometimes folks want to do it all. Most times, they want to break it down into workable chunks over a span of time,
Whether your dreams are about a new kitchen or bath, a fresh focus on your living spaces, creating that perfect home office/studio, open up your home more to the outdoors, (we LOVE biophilic design!!!), a new outdoor living area, man shack/she shed, edible gardening, or……….?!?!?
We are ready to dream with you to create the plans and specifications we’ll need to build your dream!
Global Coherence Initiative https://youtu.be/7dHcOrNzIxU via @YouTube
The Global Coherence Initiative is linking people with intention to heal the planet.
This is a wonderful energy and much needed!
Barb Ricketts attended the International Builders Show/Kitchen and Bath Industry Show January 21-23, 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Barb was contacted by a representative of NAHB and asked to take part in four for us groups on the topics of Building Codes, particularly energy codes, Rain Screens, Insulation and Flooring. The Focus Groups are a great way to weigh in on product development; the Rain Screen Group examined a dozen or so Rain Screen prototypes, discussed advantages, disadvantages of each and made recommendations. It’s always nice to connect with colleagues from across the country, and indeed, worldwide!!
She met again with Ken Calligar, CEO, Juan Martinez, Architect, General Manager, and Antonio Zavala, PE VP Special Projects Engineer from exhibitor, RSG3-D and talked about the uses of their SIPs, structural insulated panels for Kinfolks’ affordable, homeless, disaster relief and ADU programs she’s working on launching. RSG3-D is launching their own Resilience ADU program.
RSG3-Ds SIPs panels are hurricane resistant, fireproof, waterproof and have a high seismic resistance, making the product ideal for Kinfolk Unlimited’s programs.
Barb also talked with a couple of representatives of FEMA in her ongoing efforts to provide a more sustainable, resilient alternative to the “FEMA Trailer”.
The NARI exhibit was a great stop to reconnect with friends from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, David Pekel, MCR UDCP CAPS-NARI CEO and others.
Tamara Meyers CR LEED AP, President of Myers Constructs, Inc. in Philadelphia, and Barbara had a wonderful dinner at Bellagio’s Noodle, took in the famed Water Show and Botanical Gardens in the Conservatory which was decorated in Over-the Top Vegas style for the Chinese Lunar New Year, The Year of The Rat!!!
Barb met with W. Pauline Yamego Zaba, Evaluation and Management Expert, PIF, Forest Investment Program in Washington, DC, June 1-4, 2019, where they discussed the extensive deforestation that Burkina Faso has experienced and is struggling to curtail and turn around through their replanting and forest management program.
(Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation in Western Africa with a population of over 20 million, which obtained independence from France in 1960. Agriculture provides over 30% of its gross domestic product and occupies 80% of the working population. The Country is subject rot severe flooding and drought. The mining of precious gems and metals, primarily gold, comprise the top exports, mostly to the U.S.)
Barb visited Puerto Rico again December 10-17, 2109, 2 years and 3 months after Maria made landfall.
The island, a beautiful, tropical paradise, that fortunately, is also a U.S. territory, still is in recovery mode, although making progress due to the heart of the Puerto Rican people!
In driving all around the island from San Juan to Rio Grande, to Luquillo, Farjardo, Ceiba, Humacao, and into the interior, Las Piedras, through Caguas, down the coast through Aguadill and into Rincon. I bypassed the Guanica and Ponce areas that were most affected by the recent earthquakes.
I did see quite a lot of blue tarps on my driving around the territory.
I met with Yanira Camacho, Development Director for Invest Puerto Rico in San Juan to discuss developing the market, and provide contractor training for the much more resilient, wind, rain, fire and seismic resistant SIPs, (Structurally Insulated Panels) construction method. This was before the earthquakes, there is an even greater reason to use SIPs now!
I plan to go back to meet with representatives from the Vivienda, the housing agency for PR.
Barb Ricketts, President of Kinfolk Unlimited met with two Connecticut housing leaders in August, 2019; Catherine Taylor, Vice President, Connecticut Valley Homes, a custom modular home builder, in East Lyme, CT, to discuss changes toward modularization in the housing industry. She also met with Denise Nott, General Contractor/Owner of Nutmeg Building & Remodeling in Ledyard, CT, to discuss trends in the residential renovation industry.
Connecticut is mostly in Climate zone 6, which requires higher R-Values than Austin, Texas, where Kinfolk Unlimited is located. Although Barb is well versed with NW Oregon and SW Washington, having been a General Contractor in both states for 17 years!
Barbara Ricketts, President of Kinfolk Unlimited, attended HUD’s Inaugural Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall in Washington, DC, June 1-5, 2019 where she met with numerous presenters and exhibitors, all leaders in the arena of innovative housing.
The event was opened and closed by HUD Secretary, Dr. Ben Carson, whom Barbara met during the event.
She was privileged to have a meeting with Christopher Bourne, Director of HUD Office of Innovation, to discuss several innovative housing methods of construction.
Barb also met with Senior HUD Advisor-Disaster Response, Dana Bres, P.E. and discussed numerous up and coming and alternative forms of construction appropriate for temporary disaster relief and permanent disaster replacement housing.
Sam Rashkin, Author and Chief Architect, Building Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, part of the Department of Energy, and Theresa Weston, Ph.D, Senior Research Fellow, DuPont Building Innovations were presenters and panelists whom Barbara spoke with at length about issues related to energy efficient, sustainable construction practices.
Two prevailing themes included by numerous presenters and panelists were the overarching and growing costs of permitting/plan review/inspections which can comprise as much as 35-40% of project costs and the dire need in the construction industry for skilled workers.
Other housing leaders she met with were Byron Stroud, Director, Community Sales, Skyline Champion Cpro and Steve Quick, VP Business Development, Cavco, as the manufactured home industry was well represented on the National Mall.
A few people from companies and organizations that are part of the solution that Barb met with: Ken Caligar, CEO Re-Structure Group, rsg3-d.com , Jolan Stoltz, President, Affordable House Kits, affordablehousekits.com, both producing variations of SIPs, Structural Insulated Panels, Hannah Rose Crabtree, President, Washington Tiny House Association, and Builder/Owner, PocketMansions.com, Stephen Jordan, CEO Institute for Sustainable Development, Indus.org, David Paschane, Ph.D. , CEO, Aplin Labs, AplinLabs.com, Pat Dunham, Author, Coach, YourTinyHouseAdvisor.com, Veronica Waithe, Piedmont Green Container Homes, to mention just a few!
The ICC, International Code Council, weighed in and were well represented as presenters and panelists.
Due, perhaps, to the increase and severity of natural disasters, the catch word “Resilient” seems to have eclipsed the word “Sustainable”, in importance. Of course, sustainability, is resilience and vic e versa!!
What’s up with manufactured housing? We toured several factories in 2019: Palm Harbor, factory in Austin which is part of the CAVCO family which also includes Fleetwood Homes, Champion Skyline Homes factory in Austin and their Athens Park Model factory near Dallas/Ft. Worth.
Through HUDs MH Advantage Program, certain manufactured homes can qualify for financing that is similar to site built homes, provided they have the MH Advantage sticker, signifying that they meet certain requirements which include being placed on a foundation/footings, having a porch added, having gabled roofline(s).
MH Advantage Program makes manufactured housing financing possible with lower down payments and lower interest rates than other, conventional manufactured housing financing programs.
Manufactured homes by the major manufacturers, were well represented at the Inaugural HUD Innovative Housing Showcase we attended in DC, so we felt it important to take a look.
What we found was encouraging as manufactured homes, MHs, are built using wood framing, better insulation, more options for improved energy efficiency, as well as stylish interior finishes and fixtures and options of HardiPlank siding, 6” exterior walls and the list goes on.
We see the future-
And it is pre-fab, modular, factory built homes and housing units in addition to increased use of premanufactured, panelized building components.
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Barbara Ricketts, President of Kinfolk Unlimited, toured Community First Village accompanied by Eric Kaufman, author of “A Call to Action, How to Save Millions of Lives” and Founder of Natural Resiliency Foundation.
The community of micro homes and RVs was founded by Mobile Loaves and Fishes Founder, Alan Graham. Community First Village in East Austin, houses over 200 formerly chronically homeless adults and employs many of its residents in it’s shops, food trailer, auto repair and detailing shop. The community also includes and outdoor theater, 5 outdoor kitchens, a woodworking shop/forge, 100 RV Park Homes, 130 Micro-Homes, 5 laundry/restroom/shower facilities.
The micro homes and RVs have been sponsored and built by numerous organizations in support of solutions for Austin’s chronically homeless population.
A second phase will be breaking ground soon to increase the housing to over 500 chronically homeless!