Local Home Builder | Meet The Team

Chapel Hill Home Builder

Local home builder and award winning Custom Home Builder, our passion comes from knowing that we’ve carefully managed, protected and added value to your home. One of your most important financial and personal assets. That we have become friends and trusted advisors for all improvements to your property.

We understand that building a new custom green home is a creative and collaborative process. We strive to provide a total team effort dedicated to fulfilling clients’ dreams and desires from concept to completion.

Visiting you in your finished home is always a celebration. An Acknowledgement of the creativity, communication, and mutual respect that built your home. Local Home Builder, Collins Design-Build holds an Unlimited General Contractor License.

Since 2010 100% of our homes have been Certified Green By Home Innovations Research Lab. 100% have meet the qualifications of ENERGY STAR and Certified Natural Wildlife Habitats. Our Average HERS Index Rating is 57. A number we are proud of as it’s not all that easy in Zone 3 of North Carolina to score this low without renewables like solar.

Our commitment to serve you has earned Collins Design-Build numerous top industry awards, including the National Certified Green Professional Builder of the Year. The Durham, Orange & Chatham’s Builder of the Year, and twice awarded the coveted Triangle Sales and Marketing Council’s MAME Building Company of the Year. .

We believe building a new home should not involve stress or anxiety. Building a new home is fun and a wonderful moment to enjoy in your life. We are honored to be a part of it.  When we build a home for someone, we become family. We are creating your personal space. We respect that.

If you are looking for a general contractor or new home builder in the Durham, Hillsborough and Chapel Hill please reach out to us.

 

Designer / Company Lead

Catherine French

Cat brings custom spaces to life. She is known for her creative drive, authenticity, down-to-earth approach, and the client-centered focus she puts into every single project. Cat is a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Interior Architecture.

She has created a diverse and dynamic range of spaces- everything from designing a couple’s dream home to working side-by-side with business owners to create a space that will highlight their brand. She is known as a talented, experienced, designer that will get the job done on time and within budget.

Cat is a creative partner to her clients throughout the entire process, taking on the big design challenges and thinking outside the box to create something completely unique for each and every space. She believes that no two clients are alike- and no two spaces should be, either. Her goal is a design that is centered around you, your life, and your vision for a space you will love for a lifetime.

She leads a diversely talented team of professionals that work with your inspirations and guide you until the very last detail is placed. Cat was an artist before pursuing her graduate work in design. She draws on her studio art background to bring big design projects to life using the building blocks of color, pattern, texture, and form. Cat believes that beauty and function can weave together seamlessly to make stunning, timeless, and incredibly comfortable spaces that are the perfect fit for you.

Cat is the only North Carolina Designer to be routinely showcased as a Featured Designer on The Design Network. Her work has been featured in Chapel Hill Magazine, Home & Decor, Houzz, Chairish, and many other local and national platforms.

Cat is a member of the American Society of Interior Design, and the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce. Cat taught the Environmental Design Studio at UNCG and has made presentations on interior design and historic preservation at several State and National conventions.

 


Accredited Master Builder

Chad Collins

Chad has earned the highest designations available, such as Accredited Master Builder, Master Certified Green Professional, and Aging-in-Place Specialist. Among other industry recognition’s, Collins Design-Build has earned multiple Best Green Built Home NCHBA STARS Awards, Major Renovation Awards and the rare Parade of Homes GOLD Perfect Score Award.

Prior to being elected as the President of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties, serving over 600 members, Chad was nominated to a six-year term with the North Carolina Home Builders Association as Regional Vice President; serving the largest territory region in the nation. Chad was elected as the Board of Directors President of the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce 2019 and 2020 where he led efforts to increase membership by 15% during a pandemic.

Throughout his career, he has served on various boards of directors and has earned numerous top awards for membership recruitment from the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties; the North Carolina Home Builders Association; the National Association of Home Builders; the Triangle Community Coalition; and the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce. In 2018 North Carolina Governor appointed Chad to the North Carolina Home Inspectors Licensing Board as Treasurer.

Chad is honored to be an approved speaker for the National Association of Home Builders. Chad has written and taught several courses on high performance building, as well as, project management to fellow general contractors across the Southern United States. He has instructed for Duke University’s OLLI Continuing Education Program, serving as the Aging-in-Place Specialist. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors recognizes Chad as an approved Continuing Education Instructor.

.Chad’s Professional Designations include:
Accredited Master Builder
Certified Master Green Professional
Certified Aging In Place Specialist

Link to 2019 Triangle Business Journal Cover Article about Chad TBJ Article


Land Acquisition / Broker

Emilee Collins

Emilee brings a robust professional background in real estate, banking, investments, retail, and mortgage lending, which has laid a strong foundation for her career in commercial real estate. Emilee brings a multifaceted skill set to serve her clients who are Sellers, Buyers, Landlords, and Tenants. Her expertise, meticulous planning, and unwavering commitment to understanding her clients’ needs are at the forefront.

Emilee firmly believes that fostering connections and active community engagement form the bedrock of a successful commercial real estate business model. She proudly holds membership in some of the most esteemed organizations in the global real estate industry, including the CCIM Institute (Certified Commercial Investment Member), Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® (SIOR) as a Member Associate, Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, The Durham Regional Association of REALTORS® (2024 Board of Directors), and The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties. Emilee’s dedication to her community is further evidenced by her pivotal role in establishing the Charter Organization of The Professional Women in Building of Durham, Orange, Chatham Counties. Notably, she has served as the President of The Rotary Club of Durham and currently holds the position of President of the Board of Directors for the Hillsborough/Orange Chamber of Commerce.

Emilee’s professional journey in real estate began in 2006 when she obtained her Broker license from the NC Real Estate Commission. Over the years, she has earned several prestigious designations that underscore her commitment to excellence, including the CCIM designation from the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute, the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation, the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation, and the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation, equipping her with specialized expertise to cater to the unique real estate requirements of individuals aged 50 and above.

A proud native of North Carolina, Emilee is an alumna of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she continues to support her beloved Tar Heels. Her professional journey is underpinned by values such as diligence, integrity, and expert analysis, which she applies diligently to navigate the complexities of the commercial real estate landscape, ultimately delivering exceptional results for her clients.

Contact: 919-730-7040 / emilee@emileecollins.com