I was working on a beautiful project in Philadelphia in 2018. The scope of the project was about $400,000 for a down-to-the-studs reno. A couple little details didn’t add up. For starters, we were insulating the house to the minimum code requirement (which is incredibly antiquated). Maybe there’s no space, I thought. A couple weeks later, the HVAC mechanic was installing a builder-grade Goodman Furnace. These are fine, I suppose, but they’re pretty much the least efficient model you can put in. I asked the Project Manager why we weren’t installing a high efficiency system for a few hundred dollars more. He responded “they cut it from the budget.” A couple weeks after that, the kitchen was wrapping and the countertop installer showed up with the most beautiful piece of stone I’ve ever seen. It was a $14,000 slab of granite, for the island alone. I’m all for having nice things, for building beautiful spaces, and for creating the home that you deserve. What I don’t believe in is sacrificing efficiency, durability, or comfort for aesthetics.

Subversive Building seeks to disrupt an established system or institution - as a society, we ignore what we can’t see or touch in favor of something shiny. We’ll pay top dollar for a slab of granite, only to skimp out on our mechanicals. We’ll install a custom glass railing system into an under-insulated house. For our team, it’s about building beautiful, comfortable spaces that work for you today, tomorrow, and many years down the road.  It’s about building with integrity and longevity in mind.  It’s about incremental investments with lifetime of returns. 

What Is Green Building?

Green building does not mean a life of sacrifice.  Long gone are the days of cold showers, hot summers, and running around shutting all the lights trying to save a nickel or two.

Green Building is about planning and forethought.

It’s about investing a little bit up front and reaping the benefits for the life of your project. 

It’s about taking the time to think about details. 

It’s as much about comfort, health, and durability as it is about saving money.  

What we do.

We are a boutique builder with big dreams. We’re a licensed and insured general contractor in Philadelphia, performing everything from kitchen remodels to whole house renovations. Eventually, we will shift into responsible real estate development, equipped with years experience and a mountain of data to pull from. At the present, we continue to execute unique, design driven projects at the highest level. We share our research, and more importantly, our mistakes along the way. Check out our Blog for write ups on individual projects or processes, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for all of our content.