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Architect specializes in single-family homes
Architect Nicholas Paolucci owns MASS Architect, LLC in Milton, MA. The Rhode Island native moved to Boston shortly after graduating from Auburn University in 2010. “I'm in between Boston and Rhode Island, where my family lives. I always loved Boston, so moving here for work was the dream,” Paolucci said.
The architect shared how he started his business. “I was working for another architect in Boston, and it was just him and me, so I learned a lot. I went to all the meetings and did all the drafting, and he showed me the ropes and helped pay for my exams. Once I became licensed, I grew out of that role and thought I could go out on my own.”
Paolucci heavily marketed his business to get his first clients. “I mass-emailed builders and developers and made cold calls just to meet people in the business. At first, I worked directly for developers and general contractors. Once I got enough projects under my belt, I began getting my own projects from advertising and working for homeowners directly,” he said.
Today, the architect designs “single-family additions, full-gut renovations and new custom homes.” Paolucci discussed his business’s growth. “I started my business in 2016, and it's grown each year. While I’m a sole proprietor, I work closely with a network of builders and use the same structural engineer on almost every project,” he said.
Paolucci finds that his firm’s size sets him apart. “I'm a smaller, more personal architect offering lower fees than the bigger firms. I can also jump on projects pretty quickly and turn them around faster.”
When asked about his favorite project to date, Paolucci said, “I worked with a design builder on a project in Boston’s South End Historic District. It was an old, dilapidated, two-family, brick row house that needed a ton of work. We gutted the whole thing and restored the facade and modernized it. The project was four floors with a roof deck. The home came out really nice. The owner’s neighbor saw it and decided to redo their home. So, I'm working on that project now, right next door.”
The architect discussed his process for working with new clients. “I like to know the overall scope of the project—the size, the address, and if they know the ballpark budget that they're working with. Then I look the property up online. I can typically generate a proposal just based on that information and what they're looking to do. If the client wants to meet beforehand, I certainly can go to the house and walk through it with them. Once the contract is signed, I measure the existing house and get started. I try to keep the process as simple as possible. I can turn a proposal around within a day and jump on a project the next week if the client is on a tight timeline.”
For those thinking about building a new house or renovating their existing home, Paolucci recommends homeowners “contact builders at the same time to get ballpark pricing. It’s also valuable to get an idea of the style you're looking for through online research. Most people don't know where to start, but it's always good to talk to the builder as soon as possible. A lot of builders are busy and backlogged with projects—some for a year or two. The quicker you jump on that, the better. Also, for an addition, you need a survey of your lot, and most people don't have that, or it's too old, and surveyors can take a long time. Jumping on that is also the first thing I tell people to do.”
Paolucci is licensed in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. On a green building note, he has the LEED AP Homes credential, which denotes “advanced green building knowledge and expertise in the LEED for Home,” according to the U.S. Green Building Council.
For more information about MASS Architect, LLC, check out their BBB Business Profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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