Christian Haberkern is a licensed North Carolina Residential General Contractor and also serves as a member on the Town of Highlands Planning Board.
One of Christian’s first memories at 3 years old was coming up to Highlands from Atlanta to see the construction on a new farmhouse and barn that stood on his Uncle’s gorgeous 25-acre lot on Arnold Road (now known as The Farm at Old Edwards). He still remembers the smell of fresh cut wood from the local sawmill and the mounds of mud and moss at the construction site. It was his first taste of building in Highlands.
He grew up visiting The Farm every summer, riding the tractor with his grandad “Papa” and watching the stars from the rocking chair front porch. His grandma, “Nanny,” would make homemade jam and pickles that she grew in the garden, and arrange beautiful bouquets of dahlias. He would learn to farm, fish, and drive a truck on The Farm, and would watch several more buildings go up over the years. He spent the rest of the summer at his grandparents’ cottage at the Highlands Country Club, playing golf with his Papa.
After graduating from SCAD, Christian moved to New York City to work in the film industry as a Designer and Art Director, specializing in visual effects. Over the next decade, he collaborated with world-class creative teams on major motion pictures including Guardians of the Galaxy, Tron: Ares, Transformers, Captain America, and Thor to name a few.
Those years sharpened an obsessive attention to detail, problem-solving under pressure, and a deep respect for craft. Eventually, the pull of Highlands—and the desire to build something more lasting—brought him back with his wife and three kids to the place that had always felt like home.
From a young age, Christian noticed and admired the particular design aesthetic unique to Highlands. Rich textures of wood and stone, exposed timbers, warm spaces enveloped in expansive views—all irresistibly charming. Attracted to design details and quality construction, Christian aims to capture and preserve the spirit of Highlands in everything he builds.
