Most custom homes start with two separate contracts. One goes to an architect, who draws the house. The other goes to a builder, who prices it, finds what the drawings missed, and sends the change orders. When the two disagree, you are the one standing in the middle.
2SL Design Build puts both jobs under one roof. The Raleigh firm was founded in 1997 by architect John Sibert and architectural designer Lina Sibert, and it designs, permits and builds from the same office on East Franklin Street. Its portfolio runs from a 2021 courtyard house in Chapel Hill to a lakefront Raleigh home dated 2026, along with a long list of renovations in Raleigh’s historic neighborhoods.
That renovation record is the first thing to understand. Most of 2SL’s published awards are for remodels, porches and historic work. This guide covers what the public record shows about its new homes and what to confirm before you sign.
Who Is 2SL Design Build?
2SL Design Build is an architect-led design-build firm based at 210 E. Franklin Street in Raleigh. Its About page says John and Lina Sibert founded the company in 1997 and have practiced architecture for more than 25 years, in the United States and internationally. The homepage describes “25 years of award winning spaces throughout the Triangle.”
The firm publishes its team by name and role:
- John Sibert, Founder and Architect
- Lina Sibert, Founder and Architectural Designer
- Zach Fox, Project Manager
- Erik Jackson, Estimator
- Malakah Crespin, Interior Design
- Urvi Patel, Accounting
- Roy Noel, Operations
2SL is listed as a builder member in the 2025 Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County directory. The company phone is (919) 833-1448.
The documented awards
The homepage lists an Anthemion Award from Capital Area Preservation, a feature on HGTV’s “Love It or List It,” a News & Observer Best House of the Month, Best of Houzz for Design and Service, and HBA Star Awards for Best Room Renovation, Best Porch (Gold), Best Outdoor Living, Best Whole House Renovation, Best Basement, Best Historic Remodel and Best Bathroom. The site does not give years for any of them. Ask which awards went to new construction.
A sister brokerage
2SL also runs 2SL Realty, which its Services page describes as a partner for buying and selling homes in Wake, Orange and Durham counties. That matters if you are buying a lot or a house through the same company that will design and build on it. We cover that below.
Where Does 2SL Design Build Work?
2SL’s project pages place its work across the core of the Triangle:
- Raleigh: Caledonia (2024), Devon House, Rosenfeld (2026), Thomas House, a 2022 renovation in the Mordecai neighborhood, and a 2001 renovation in Historic Oakwood;
- Chapel Hill: the Gailor residence (2021);
- Cary: Hinkle House (2008);
- Durham: the Moffat renovation (2023).
The brokerage side names Wake, Orange and Durham counties. Expect most new-home work to be in and around Raleigh, with Chapel Hill and Durham projects on a case-by-case basis.
What Does 2SL Design Build Build?
2SL designs and builds new custom homes, additions, whole-house renovations, kitchens and baths, and professional offices. Its Services page lists architecture, construction management and general contracting, interior design, kitchen and bath, and site planning that includes zoning analysis, permit management and infrastructure design.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| State contractor license | L.57109 (2SL Design Build, Inc.): Building classification, unlimited license limit, active through Dec. 31, 2026 per the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, checked Oct. 14, 2026 |
| Business model | Design-build: in-house architects plus general contracting |
| Founded | 1997, by John and Lina Sibert |
| New custom homes in portfolio | Gailor (Chapel Hill, 2021), Caledonia (Raleigh, 2024), Rosenfeld (Raleigh, 2026), Devon House, Thomas House, Hinkle House (Cary, 2008) |
| Infill experience | Caledonia is described as new infill construction on an existing street |
| Published pricing | No price list. The site’s estimator uses $225, $300 and $400 per square foot for a new custom home at Essential, Premium and Luxury finish levels, plus or minus 10%, “based on 2025 Triangle market averages” |
| Interior design | In-house: materials, fixtures, furniture and lighting |
| Warranty | Not published on the website |
The new homes on the record
The project pages give a clear picture of 2SL’s design range:
- Gailor (Chapel Hill, 2021): cantilevered sections over covered outdoor space, limestone, cedar and zinc, a central courtyard, and a pool and spa on a wooded site.
- Caledonia (Raleigh, 2024): new infill designed to match the street’s proportions outside, with a clean, modern interior and large windows.
- Rosenfeld (Raleigh, 2026): a lakefront home with an outdoor amphitheater, natural wood tones, and a “crow’s nest” office.
- Devon House (Raleigh): an open plan with vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, custom millwork and smart-home integration.
Two project pages, Hinkle House and Historic Oakwood, still carry placeholder text instead of a written description. That is a website gap, but it means you should ask for the full scope, size and finish level on any project you are using as a reference.
What the estimator implies
The firm’s online estimator multiplies square footage by a finish-level rate and shows a range 10% either side. At its default setting, a 2,500-square-foot new home at the Premium level, the range is $675,000 to $825,000 for construction. The page says plainly that the figure is educational and not a quote, and it has no input for land or site work. Use it as a first filter.
How Does Building With 2SL Work?
2SL publishes a five-step process on its homepage:
- Initial consultation. Vision, budget and feasibility.
- Design phase. The architects produce concept drawings and refine the plans.
- Pre-construction. 2SL handles permitting, engineering and material selections.
- Construction. The 2SL team and its subcontractors build the house.
- Move-in. A final walkthrough before you take the keys.
The advantage of this model is that the person pricing the house is in the room while it is being drawn. Caledonia’s project page says the design-build process allowed real-time budget adjustments during the job. The tradeoff is that you lose the independent check an outside architect provides on a builder’s work.
What Should You Verify Before Signing With 2SL Design Build?
Before signing with 2SL, verify how design fees and construction pricing are structured, what the warranty covers, and which awards and projects match the house you want. Our guides to finding a Triangle builder and why the builder’s agent works for the builder explain how to keep someone on your side of the table.
Get the design and build costs separated
Ask whether design is billed as a fixed fee, a percentage, or folded into the construction contract, and what happens to the drawings if you stop after the design phase. In a design-build contract, that answer protects you.
Ask for new-construction references
Most of the award list is renovation work. Ask for two or three clients who built new homes with 2SL in the last five years, and visit one if you can.
Confirm the license and the entity
Match the company name and license number on your contract to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. The website does not publish a license number.
Understand the brokerage relationship
If 2SL Realty helps you find a lot, it is working for a company that also wants to build on that lot. We represent the buyer. The builder’s own team represents the builder. Have your own agent review the land deal.
Get the warranty in writing
2SL’s website does not describe a warranty. Ask for the written terms on structure, systems and finishes, and compare them with our home-builder warranty guide.
Check the infill rules
For an inside-the-Beltline lot like Caledonia’s, zoning, setbacks and impervious limits shape the house before an architect draws a line. Our Raleigh infill lot checklist covers what to pull first.
How Does 2SL Compare With Other Building Options?
2SL sits between hiring an architect and a builder separately and buying from a builder’s plan book.
| Option | Who designs | Who builds | Cost visibility | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2SL design-build | In-house architects | 2SL | Pricing develops alongside the design | Buyers who want an architect-designed house and one point of contact |
| Architect plus separate builder | Independent architect | Builder you choose | Bids come after drawings | Buyers who want competitive bids and an independent design check |
| Custom builder with plan library | Builder’s plans, modified | Builder | Faster, plan-based pricing | Buyers happy with a proven layout |
| Production builder | Builder | Builder | Fixed base price plus options | Buyers who want a defined process in a subdivision |
Who Is a Strong Fit for 2SL Design Build?
2SL fits a buyer who cares about architecture as much as square footage, and who wants the people drawing the house to answer for building it.
The strongest candidates usually:
- own or are buying an infill lot in Raleigh, or a wooded lot near Chapel Hill;
- want a modern or design-forward house with interior design included;
- value one firm handling zoning, permits, design and construction;
- are comfortable with pricing that firms up as the design develops;
- will ask for references and a written warranty before signing.
It is a weaker fit for buyers who want a fixed price on day one, a production-style schedule, or a spec home they can tour and buy.
Final Thoughts About 2SL Design Build From Tim Clarke
2SL has been doing architect-led work in Raleigh since 1997, and its project list shows real range: a limestone-and-zinc courtyard house in Chapel Hill, a modern infill home that fits its street, and a lakefront house with an outdoor amphitheater. That is a serious portfolio.
The questions are the usual design-build questions. Get the fee structure in writing, confirm which awards were for new homes, and read the warranty before the first drawing is final.
I have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate. Our team builds as well as sells, so we know how design-build contracts are put together and where the allowances hide. We can review the lot, the zoning and the contract before you commit.
If 2SL is on your list, call us at (919) 355-8462. We’ll represent you from the first meeting to the final walkthrough.
Sources
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/about
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/services
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/gailor
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/caledonia
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/rosenfeld
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/devon-house
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/thomas-house
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/hinkle-house
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/mordecai
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/moffat
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/work/historic-oakwood
- https://www.2sldesignbuild.com/contact
- 2025 HBA Raleigh-Wake County builder-member directory (print)
- https://portal.nclbgc.org/Public/Search (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, license L.57109)
