Our History
Click through for a tour of the home Jesse shares with his partner and son. Photos by Nicole Mklar.
Since moving to Texas in 2001, SHIFT BUILD owner Jesse Hartman has made Austin's east side his home. His first major building project in Texas was his own house. Built almost exclusively out of reclaimed materials sourced within a 10-mile radius of the building site, the home garnered attention from local print media such as Tribeza, Austin Home, and the Austin American Statesman, where writer Amy Gabriel referred to it as a "customized urban oasis."
From there, Jesse began helping friends who lived nearby, remodeling older homes on the tight budgets of first-time homeowners. Word of his creative and affordable building style soon spread, and SHIFT BUILD was born.
Today, Jesse still specializes in creative and affordable projects in his immediate neighborhood of East Austin, but SHIFT BUILD has expanded to include commercial projects and new builds.