Chappell Wins 2025 Communicator Awards for City Hike Website Design
Chappell [Powered by Compass] is proud to announce that its City Hike website, which promotes the solar-ready townhome collection in Downtown Raleigh, was recognized nationally with Four 2025 Communicator Awards, celebrating its sustainable messaging, visual excellence, and motion design.
Chappell [Powered by Compass] is proud to announce that its website design for City Hike—a modern, solar-ready townhome collection just outside Downtown Raleigh—has earned four separate recognitions at the 2025 Communicator Awards. The honors were presented by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA) in recognition of outstanding creative work and innovation in digital marketing.
Selected from thousands of international entries, the City Hike website was recognized across four categories:
- General – Sustainability, Excellence 2025
- Features – Visual Appeal / Aesthetic, Distinction 2025
- General – Real Estate, Distinction 2025
- Features – Animation or Motion Graphics, Distinction 2025
The Communicator Awards, presented by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, celebrate innovation and effectiveness across all areas of communication, making them one of the most competitive and respected programs in the industry.
“City Hike is a truly forward-thinking development, and we knew the marketing needed to reflect that same level of vision and creativity.”
– Johnny Chappell, Owner/Founder of Chappell & Development Team Member
The award-winning website was developed entirely by Chappell’s in-house marketing team, who sought to create an interactive and visually compelling platform that reflected the project’s core values of innovation, efficiency and environmental stewardship.
“This recognition is incredibly rewarding for our team,” said Johnny Chappell, owner and founder. “City Hike is a truly forward-thinking development, and we knew the marketing needed to reflect that same level of vision and creativity. These awards are a testament to the dedication and talent of our creative team, and to the value of aligning bold design with strategic communication.”
The City Hike website incorporates motion graphics, visual storytelling and a user-friendly interface to deliver an immersive brand experience that not only communicates key information but also reinforces the project’s identity as a modern, sustainability-oriented offering in Raleigh’s competitive real estate market.
About City Hike:
Comprised of 12 modern townhomes starting in the $600ks, City Hike offers homebuyers convenient Downtown Raleigh access with walkable connectivity to green space and greenway trails.
This boutique collection’s designer base layout boasts 3 BR (Optional 4th Bedroom), 4 BAs, and 2,177 SQ FT of refined and refreshingly functional living space. Each home comes with an expansive rooftop lounge, two-car parking, and an open-concept layout with multiple built-ins and explorable design expansions.
The City Hike model home, located at 612 Rocky Knob Court, is currently available to self-tour virtually anytime via Chappell Keys or via pre-scheduled agent-guided showing. To learn more about the City Hike’s floorplans and Phase Two upgrades, explore cityhikeraleigh.com/plans.
Eco-friendly, upgradeable features include nine (9) solar panels and an optional Tesla Powerwall. Homeowners can fully monitor and analyze their energy usage in real time through the SolarEdge dashboard supplied by Southern Energy Management. System warranties and the SEM in-house solar support team back the performance of every high-tech home.
“City Hike is not only an exceptional collection, it’s a tangible example of our commitment to elevating the residential construction experience,” said Shawn Donovan, Owner of Concept 8 and Member of the Development Team. “Our Garner Road collection promises high-style, low-maintenance living; our team’s expertise and execution transform this promise into a deliverable.”
Under Construction Developments
Chappell and its development partners are currently delivering multiple Missing Middle home collections across Raleigh, all varying in build type and price point.
In the luxury ITB market, the team recently delivered Duplin, a boutique community of two single-family modern homes embedded near Banbury Park, adjacent to the previously sold-out collaboration Nottingham. In addition to Duplin, the teams are delivering Oberlin Heights, 11 luxury townhomes coming to the Village District area. The first homes are now move-in-ready, with the final phases set to deliver by late Fall 2025.
The partners are also bringing another turnkey, climate-conscious collection to the Downtown market. IDYLE, a Net-Zero-Energy (NZE) Ready collection of 11 passively powered townhomes, is well underway on S Bloodworth Street. Downtown Raleigh’s first fully certified NZE townhome closed earlier this year.
Outside of ITB Raleigh, Chappell and its collaborators are making multiple move-in-ready communities possible. In the Lake Johnson area, Wrenwood, an over 60% sold-out collection of 26 duet-style homes, is underway, with Phase Two construction recently coming to a close just in time for its first buyers to come home. Nearby, Pleasant Grove Townes, a now over 80% sold-out collection of 24 townhomes, offers buyers easy ITB accessibility from its convenient Raleigh locale.
Upcoming Developments
In addition to the developments Chappell and its partners are currently representing in the Triangle, the team is also set to help bring at least two new home communities to market in early 2025.
Oberlin Villas, a boutique collection of four duet-style luxury builds coming to 1808 Oberlin Road, should begin construction in spring 2025. Meanwhile, the teams are gearing up to release Mitchell Mill, a contemporary townhome community of 14 designer builds in North Raleigh, following construction’s expected kick-off in summer 2025. For more information on either of these upcoming home collections, contact a member of the Chappell [Powered by Compass] team directly.
Chappell [Powered by Compass] is the real estate broker for City Hike, and DevPointe is the developer. Concept 8 manages the project’s construction, Tightlines Designs serves as the architect, and Southern Energy Management NC validates the development’s solar capabilities. Rich Paravella of Prime Lending is the preferred lender for the project, while Mann, McGibney & Jordan, PLLC, is the preferred attorney.
For more information on City Hike, visit cityhikeraleigh.com or contact 919.877.6647. For a full look at the community’s sustainability specs and FAQs, visit cityhikeraleigh.com/go-green.
