Bjarke Ingels, Roni Bahar, and Nick Chim Launch First-of-its-Kind Home Design Company

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has teamed up with technology and real estate professionals Nick Shim and Ronny Bahar to create Nipper, a new housing company offering residents large-scale custom and sustainable apartments with an ownership track. The real estate tech startup has launched its first SoFA One development in the heart of the Cultural District South of San Jose’s First District (SoFA) in Silicon Valley, and will allow residents to customize their space using the Nabr digital platform, choosing between different designs and financing packages.

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The startup is a reaction to the real estate industry’s lack of transparency and inefficiency. Engels, Bahar and Shem combined their expertise in each of their fields, developing a new and improved way of urban living by focusing on collectability, sustainability and individuality. Ronnie Bahar explains that in the wake of the current housing crisis in the United States, consumers are left with only two options: pay high rent for a small city apartment or go to suburban homes at a lower price and greater range, in addition to the truth. That single-family homes are built much more than apartments.

Since Nabr’s goal is to make it easier and simplify the process of buying zero-emission apartments, the platform uses technology and productivity to increase the production of apartments being built in major cities. The program digitizes the design process and communication with the supply chain, selling it directly to the consumer with Nbr-branded buildings.

Residents have the opportunity to buy or rent to secure their way to the property with a financial option that suits them. For those who don’t want to buy, NPR has a LEAP program that provides residents with the ability to lock in the purchase price of their home for an option period of up to five years.

We set up Nabr to build a full-scale, integrated housing production system, developing product in partnership with strategic supply chain partners from start to finish. We started in the Bay Area, where residents are faced with an incredibly expensive real estate market that few can afford. Our long-term vision is to deliver projects in less than half the time and at an affordable price to middle-income families nationwide. – Nick Shim, co-founder and chief technology officer at Nabr

The homes were designed in conjunction with BIG, which is also an investor in NBR. Each flat is carbon-neutral in operations, with an all-electric design and energy-efficient facade. SoFA One has access to natural light and ample air circulation due to its high ceilings and panoramic windows. Constructed using locally sourced North American timber, the structure provides residents with space to grow and grow their own green space indoors and out.

The project includes 125 residences with a shared rooftop park, charging stations for electric vehicles, bike, personal storage, a community garden, access to health and fitness facilities and retail spaces at ground level. The project will start in summer 2022, with occupancy expected by summer 2023, but potential customers can already join the waiting list.