who we are

We are a team of designers and builders dedicated to crafting better places. Get to know the faces behind our mission as we work together to shape the future of North Carolina.

our principals —

  • Jenn Truman

    Design Principal

    Jenn Truman is a designer with experience in architecture, civil engineering, and interior design. She has worked in the Triangle for small, local architecture and civil engineering firms for over a decade, bringing to life some of Raleigh and Durham’ s favorite retail and restaurant projects. Jenn’s design work has given her first-hand knowledge of what it takes to build great places.

    Jenn has a passion for designing experiences and places and believes in building things together. As a young designer, leader, and advocate based in Raleigh, NC she is embedded in the local community through her professional and volunteer work. Jenn is an avid transit user and advocate and currently serves as Chair of the Raleigh Transit Authority. 

    Visit her political website and follow on Instagram. Read full CV.

  • aaron-lubeck-headshot

    Aaron Lubeck

    Development Principal

    Aaron Lubeck is a designer, builder + developer.  He is the author of Green Restorations: Sustainable Building and Historic Homes and a former adjunct at Duke University’s Nicholas School, where he lectured on sustainable home building.  In 2012, Aaron developed Durham’s first net-zero-energy home, an infill project designed to fit seamlessly in its historic neighborhood.

    Aaron’s recent work focuses on zoning changes to facilitate the reconstruction of affordable housing markets, including local efforts to create Missing Middle codes.  He recently served as faculty with Incremental Development Alliance in West Atlanta, training fledgling developers. He hosts The Townbuilder’s Podcast, a curated conversation with top new urbanist developers.  He founded Southern Urbanism, a non-profit dedicated to better city-building in the South. 

    Follow Aaron on LinkedIn, Substack, Instagram, and X. Read full CV.

our partners —

  • Bill Allison

    Architectural Plans Partner

    In founding Allison Ramsey Architects three decades ago, Bill’s goals were to improve the quality of residential design built for the large percentage of people who buy houses not designed by architects. His house designs are integral to the region, city, neighborhood and block where they are located and should help maintain a sense of place. Bill has a passion for low cost housing solutions that serve to provide a decent place to live.

  • Thomas Dougherty

    Innerblock Development / Faith-Based Housing / Charette Leader

    Thomas Dougherty is the Author of ‘The American Alley - A Hidden Resource’. He holds a Master of Architecture and a Master of Architectural Design and Urbanism from the University of Notre Dame. His background is in construction, with a few years working as a timber framer. If asked about his profession, he will tell you he is “an aspiring incremental developer”. For more information about his backstory, visit his about me section on his website at www.innerblock.org.

Our team has been on the forefront of bringing modern zoning reforms to the south, from missing middle housing to removing parking requirements, we know that “building like they used to” is once again possible because we fought for it. Now, we’re passionate about helping local developers deliver quality missing middle housing to the market.

The story behind the name “The Rocket Shop” according to Aaron Lubeck…

The Rocket Shop was the name of the historical confectionery of my old office building. 

At 2400sf, over the years it had served as a tailor, a law office, a marketing firm, a design shop, and our design / build business.  The confectionery served the historic Durham High School, which is right across the street.  I restored it in 2008, and at one point, it was the world’s smallest LEED Platinum building. The name means a lot.  The actual Rocket Shop has a history, one committed to service, fun, and young people.  Those brand stories convey to our modern firm, which focuses on helping those who are determined to build community, to do better, and to make strong communities through empowering those at the margins.  

As my partner Jenn says, home design is not Rocket science, which is partly true and partly not.  It’s true that great design need not be a product reliant on a genius once-in-a-generation architect.  Good design, particularly traditional design, is scientific and relatively formulaic: proportions, context, patterning, scale, and materiality.  These can be taught, and they can be learned.  It’s not Rocket Science.  Other parts of development take years (sometimes decades) to learn.  For most practitioners, there’s no need to learn it all, much of it is unproductive insider baseball. For most, housing politics, zoning, and entitlement do feel like rocket science. We know that with the citizen builder, the magic happens with design, build, occupancy, and management.  We handle the technical and challenging niche skill of doing great designs and getting you permit drawings.  We will get you there.  If we handle the part that is rocket science, you can get on with your part, which isn't.