Thanks I… DON’T hate it!!! Looks cool!
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It also features the sexiest font in the city. (It’s Filson Pro, if you’re interested.)
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It reminds me of one of those throw back burger joints with the juke box and the bar stools. It just has that cool retro vibe. Well done Kane.
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Hard to get good pictures but I keep seeing this popping out from so many points downtown, and it’s very colorful. Definitely a unique exterior (for Raleigh) that has taken shape.
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My favorite new apartment building (thus far) in DTR.
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just curious…would the units truly sell as well or for as much (based on the cost of this current structure) with a parking lot reduction? and what would that be in current raleigh? 1 space per unit, or less, but with a parking space being an additional paid for amenity?
It’s kind of amazing to me how much better the corners of the building look
compared to the typical facade treatment.
I cannot for the life of me understand why they didn’t use dark window frames and trim to make these read as ribbon windows everywhere, which they clearly had in mind. Is there really that much of a cost difference? This building would be SO much better if it was a bit calmer!
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Vinyl and dark colors don’t mix well. Vinyl manufactured in black or dark gray tends to experience significant movement from heat when exposed to sunlight. The alternative, and preferred option, is applying a dark wrap over the vinyl, but this can be costly. Unless window frames are made of aluminum or fiberglass, choosing white is best for longevity.
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Or maybe don’t use vinyl? Just a thought, though I’m sure it’s a 
issue.
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And maybe also don’t use 
when selecting your vinyl as well. Just a thought for those wishing to build better in 2025 and beyond.
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Ah, I tend to forget that anything other than SFH use vinyl these days… in my world we never spec anything other than aluminum lol. But black windows are very common in 5 over 1s too these days? At least the ones I’m seeing go up in Durham. There’s one down the road from me (Maizon) that just installed them. Geerhouse just finished up and has them.
So do both buildings in the Rigsbee collection (although I’m not sure these ones are vinyl. They look like storefront and this firm generally does higher quality work).
Seems like it should be feasible to get black windows in some way or another unless someone is penny pinching. 
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Isn’t Rockway a Kane development? They used black on Smoky Hollow.
This sure smells like VE to me.
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I want to clarify that while black vinyl windows are available and occasionally used in commercial projects by developers and builders, there is a significant risk of failure. This is because black vinyl absorbs heat, which can cause the material to warp, shift, or otherwise degrade over time. For commercial buildings designed to last, the most durable, albeit more expensive options are aluminum or fiberglass frames.
In today’s market, it’s astonishing to see developers and general contractors constructing 250,000 SF 5 over 1 buildings with wood framing. Wood, while a viable building material, can shrink by nearly half an inch after construction, meaning a five-story building might lose over two inches in height over time. While wood framing is cost-effective, better alternatives, such as steel or concrete, offer greater durability and stability.
The use of stick framing for expansive apartments over the past 25 years can largely be attributed to efforts to minimize construction costs amid the rise of institutional real estate investment (e.g., groups like Blackstone and Greystar). These groups typically build to hold assets only until maintenance costs increase substantially or the property no longer aligns with their investment goals.
Ultimately, when designing and building projects, a wide range of materials can reduce upfront costs. However, these materials may not be appropriate for long-term ownership or sustainability.
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Aren’t black and other highly saturated colors also subject to rapid fading?
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Balloon framing? Sheesh I thought that predated modern dimensional lumber and was dead a long time ago, even for single family construction - let alone multifamily. Where would you even get lumber tall enough to serve as the studs nowadays?
I thought nearly all wood frame construction for the past hundred years or so has used platform framing techniques.
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Sorry I misspoke, yes platform framing - not balloon framing. I usually just refer to it as stick framing, but my historic Charleston house had balloon framing.
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Right, I understood what you were saying about vinyl in your original comment. The point I was making is that this development’s peers are commonly using black. That would imply that either Kane intends to hold this building for longer than his peers, his peers aren’t concerned about maintenance of their buildings, the performance concerns are overblown/outdated/only applicable to lower-end products, or the real motivator here is upfront cost. From cursory research it is probably the latter. I’m seeing some claims that black vinyl can increase window costs by 20% to even 50% in some cases. I find that really surprising but if it’s true that answers my question.
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yup. We commonly use balloon framing for steel framing and mass timber construction though.
It’s pretty rare but I’ve also seen semi-balloon framing in mid-rise/taller buildings. They’ll either use balloon framing in two-level sections, or they’ll hang the floor joists from top-plates.
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Every single one of these examples are 4000% more attractive than… any 5-over-1 built in Raleigh over the past decade… 