Byggmeister Design & Build

Rachel joined the company in 2009 after having hired Byggmeister to renovate her master suite. Rachel started as a consultant helping to develop standards and goals for energy, water and indoor air quality and to track these over time. Currently she splits her time between shepherding projects through the planning process and tracking the performance of projects after they are completed.

Rachel feels that her two roles are complementary. “During project planning we look for opportunities to improve comfort, efficiency, air quality, and incorporate them wherever practicable. In other words, we plan to improve performance. Then, once the project is over, we measure how we did and apply the lessons learned to future projects. It’s a virtuous circle.”

Josy joined Byggmeister in 2014 after relocating to the Boston area from Western MA, where she worked at the Center for EcoTechnology. She was attracted to Byggmeister because of our "integrity, strong client relationships, and environmentally sensitive approach" and is very excited to be part of a cohesive team. "My past role as a consultant often had me working on the outside. Working for Byggmeister allows me to be a part of renovation work from the first site visit, through design, all the way through construction." When she's not on the job she enjoys spending time outdoors with her daughter and black lab.

Bill has a long history with Byggmeister, going back to 2001 when he first joined the team as an Apprentice Carpenter. He quickly moved into the realm of estimating projects and few years later he returned to school to become an Architect.  

We asked Bill, why, after becoming an architect did he want to come back to work with Byggmeister?  “After I had left Byggmeister, when describing the company's process and approach I would still find myself saying "we" - it's a rare and special thing, to work for a company whose mission is one that you believe in.  That was a hard thing to walk away from in 2007 and I'm grateful that since then we've been able to collaborate in a new way."

Stacey got started in remodeling as a teenager when she spent summers painting houses. After receiving a graduate degree in community economic development, she has pursued a twofold career path—alternating between residential remodeling and cooperative business consulting.

Stacey first learned about Byggmeister several years ago while working for another local contactor. She attended an "open walls" event at a Byggmeister deep energy retrofit and recalls being impressed by Byggmeister's openness. "While most companies would keep their cutting-edge methods a secret, and use them as an advantage over their competitors, Byggmeister invited competitors in to discuss how all of us could elevate our standards."

Stacey is thrilled to part of Byggmeister because she "loves making buildings better for their current and future occupants," and because she "loves working with a team that values effective business systems and continually strives to improve them."   

Karin got to know Byggmeister from the outside in: she was a client before she joined the design team in 2003. "I was really impressed not just with their work, but with how respectfully they treat the client's space, and how approachable everyone in the company is," she says. "They keep their promises and always follow through."

During her project she realized she has a knack for product selection—marrying form, function and logistics—and was inspired to pursue interior design full-time. She founded KM Design, an independent interior design company, and at the same time created a new position within Byggmeister. "I really love coordinating products & finishes selection at Byggmeister," she says. "I get to be involved in such interesting and exciting projects."

Having joined our team as a carpenter in 2000, Cador has held multiple positions at Byggmeister. Currently, he is the full-time estimator working with the project development team to clearly define and accurately estimate project costs (our goal is for actual costs to be within 2% of estimated costs). 

Cador feels that one of the things Byggmeister does best is create a sense of teamwork. "Not just among the crew," he says, "but for everyone involved: the architect and homeowner and the builders. The trust between Byggmeister and our clients is very high because they know we are all on the same side, we all want the same thing: the best possible outcome for their home."

With Byggmeister since 1998, Corky says the best part of the job for him is getting to know the clients. "Our clients are generally pretty interesting people, and they seem to respect the fact that we're generally pretty interesting people, too," he says. "I'm also very conscious of the fact that they are trusting us with their homes, and they are spending a lot of money and deserve an excellent result."

A carpenter since 1989, Catherine worked as a subcontractor for Byggmeister for about five years before joining the company in 2002. "I really like my work and I really like this company," she says. "Paul is very creative, and he maximizes our attributes and works with our flaws." A former cook and caretaker of thoroughbred horses, Catherine says she gets great satisfaction from seeing what she has helped to build.