Building a 21st-Century Community: Offsite, Sustainable, Inclusive

Hear Jesse and Danielle Younger discuss the post pandemic era changes in the building industry.

In a world so shaken by the pandemic, divisive politics, and extreme weather events, it’s more important than ever to reimagine housing design and community development. When planned right, neighborhoods can provide a sense of sanctuary and a literal shelter in the storm. In this webinar, Younger Homes founders Danielle and Jessie Younger will relay their journey as they planned a sustainable, climate-resilient community located on a 19-acre woodland parcel in the Texas Hill Country on the shores of Lake Travis, within easy range of Austin.

The Youngers explore "New Normal" pandemic-era placemaking, highlight shifting home buyer preferences, and outline how builders can be adaptive in today’s rapidly changing market. They’ll also explain how they were able to create a regenerative community that honors its surroundings, transforms design and construction approaches by using industrialized/offsite construction, reduces carbon emissions, increases profitability, respects all stakeholders, and creates a template that others can follow.

About The Presenters

Younger Homes was formed in 2017 by Jesse and Danielle Younger with the mission to utilize innovative building practices to create beautiful, sustainable, and energy-efficient homes accessible to everyone. Together, they have built a successful business dedicated to creating beautiful, sustainable, and energy-efficient homes that are accessible to everyone. With their rockstar team, Jesse and Danielle have built Energy Star, EPA Indoor AirPlus, and Zero Energy Ready Certified homes, improving the quality of life for his clients while shepherding sustainable growth in his community. Their dedication to sustainable building practices and positive employer leadership has earned Younger Homes recognition in the industry, including Green Builder's inaugural "Pathfinder" Award For Trailblazers in Sustainable Construction and employer leadership in 2023.

Jesse is a natural entrepreneur and driven individual with a talent for system design, construction, and problem-solving. He started his career in the home building industry at a young age and learned the importance of quality construction practices, carpentry, and drafting. After graduating with honors from Texas A&M University in Mechanical Engineering, Jesse worked in the oil and gas industry as an Engineer and Project Manager. He gained valuable experience managing complex projects around the US and building strong relationships with business partners.

Danielle is a passionate advocate for sustainable living and preserving the environment. Growing up in the Texas Hill Country, she developed a love for nature and a desire to protect it. Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in Bioenvironmental Science and a Master of Public Health, emphasizing Environmental and Occupational Health. Through national and international research in Public Health and Environmental Toxicology, she began to understand the impact of the environment on human health and the importance of protecting public health by educating individuals to make informed choices. Before founding Younger Homes, Danielle spent nine years with BP in the Oil and Gas Industry, working in health, safety, and risk management in offshore drilling, where she helped deliver safe operations offshore. 

Under Jesse and Danielle's leadership, Younger Homes has achieved remarkable success and recognition, including being named to the prestigious Inc. Magazine 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America in 2022. Younger Homes has received several other prestigious awards, including the 2019 Green Builder Media Sustainable Home of the Year finalist, Houzz Best of Service 2019-2023, Houzz Best of Design 2020-2023, and the Greater Austin Home Builder Association Max Award Winner for Best Custom Home in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Danielle is a member of the Board of Directors for the Energy and Environmental Builders Alliance (EEBA), a leading organization that promotes sustainable and energy-efficient building practices. Additionally, Jesse is a founding member of the Austin Building Science group, also known as BS and Beer, a community of like-minded builders and trade professionals in the Austin area who share and promote building science. Jesse and Danielle are committed to using Younger Homes talents as home builders to serve their community. In 2022, Danielle founded and sponsored The Big Event by the Northlake Hope Center, the largest home improvement give-back event in the North Lake Travis area. The event brought hundreds of volunteers together to repair homes in their community without charge.

Danielle's expertise in Public Health and Environmental Toxicology and Jesse's deep expertise in Building Science and Engineering drives their vision for Younger Homes. Jesse and Danielle believe that environmentally sustainable and healthy homes can become the standard building practice through education and awareness. They are committed to creating a sustainable and healthy world, one community at a time.

This Housing 2.0 Thought Leader Series webinar is sponsored by: