Design Build Academy was created with the idea that residential builders make the best residential building designers. When you’ve learned how to build a house, you’ve gained crucial insight into designing a house. We exist to pave the way for general contractors, remodelers and home builders to master the fundamental skills and mindsets for designing homes, additions, renovations, ADU’s, accessory buildings, and tiny houses. Our approach is to teach the foundational design skills through a “shared learning” experience. This means we teach the critical essentials to get you going on your path as a designer, and illuminate the potential to specialize where you see fit. And we don’t do it alone - this platform leverages the curiosity, struggles, accomplishments, and journeys of design-builders across the country.
Chris Kiper is the founder of Design Build Academy and the owner of Reflective DesignWorks, a full-service residential building design firm based in York, Maine. Over the past 25 years, Chris has built a diverse career spanning construction, fabrication, facility management, historic restoration, property and site work management, and—at the core of it all—design.
A self-taught designer, Chris chose hands-on experience over a traditional college path. He began using SketchUp in 2008 and deepened his expertise through courses at Yestermorrow Design/Build School, architectural study, and mentorship from industry experts.
Chris is deeply passionate about design—and even more passionate about sharing what he’s learned with builders ready to elevate their craft. His work has been featured in local publications, on the TV series Tiny House Nation, and through the TEDx talk series. He was recently featured on the Agent.ai podcast discussing custom AI tools for design and construction.
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