Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Keene.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Steven. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in the 90’s and Legos and K’nex were my jam. My mom has told me I would spend countless hours building suspension bridges, Lego towns and any other structure imaginable by a 6-year-old kid. Funny thing, this is actually the same opening to my college application essay.
While growing up, I watched and then helped my dad work on the endless list of house projects. Years later, after owning my own home, I know that this list only gets longer, never shorter. While attending Taunton High School, I took both shop and CAD class all four years. Although I played golf throughout high school (and still proudly rock my Tigers golf bag over a decade later), sports were not my focus. It became evident to me pretty quickly through shop and CAD class that working with my hands and designing were my passions.
Ultimately, I ended up applying and being accepted to Wentworth Institute of Technology for their Architecture program. I attended Wentworth for 5 years and earned my Master’s in Architecture. Throughout my time there, I held a number of internships around the city including The Architectural Team in Chelsea, New England Development in Newton, and JMS and Associates in Waltham. I also drove back to Taunton on the weekends to renovate my mom’s basement, and later, my uncle’s entire house.
When I graduated in 2010, the economy was booming… NOT. Most construction jobs and firms were at a standstill from the crisis of 2007-2008. After spending my entire life focusing on building and design and taking out an unthinkable amount of money in student loans, I found myself on a corner in the South End, wearing a Valet jacket, parking cars for a living thinking “HOW did I end up here?!” (On the plus side, I can now call myself a professional driver). I did end up working a few other gigs, one as a graphic designer for a local newspaper and another as a CAD operator for Talbots.
I probably applied to 75 architecture jobs before landing an interview with Woodstock Building Associates. I have now been with my company for 7 years and feel I have found my niche. I love the design-build process, the client relationships, planning homes – the places where people build their lives. I feel that through my work I get to help people achieve their life dreams! With me living in the Franklin area, our company saw an opportunity to expand our business.
With the growing population, great schools, safe neighborhoods, aging housing market and the growing radius of Boston suburbs, Franklin seemed to be a great place to open up a satellite office. We signed a lease for a space on Main Street last year, and I’m so pumped to have our Franklin office up and running. Working in Franklin has brought new challenges, but also excitement and life balance. My son is a year and a half and being able to spend more time with him and my wife, while also growing connections in our community, has been a really positive experience.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As I said, when I graduated in 2010, the market was not good. People were not looking to build and therefore jobs were few and far between. I spent many, many afternoons at JP Licks in Brigham Circle with my laptop, using their free WiFi applying for jobs. It took a lot of pep talks with myself to keep applying and looking for the right fit. Also, if you want to become a Registered Architect, you learn early on that you cannot shy away from putting time and effort into achieving this goal.
The process of becoming a Registered Architect is quite lengthy and requires a lot of hard work. After completing a master’s, you must also pass 7 rigorous exams and put in 5,600 hours of on the job experience. I began studying for my exams in early 2012 and passed my final exam on May 20, 2015 (yes, I remember the exact date).
Each exam took 2-3 months of studying while balancing my full-time job, getting married, becoming a homeowner and having my son. I went into work early, studied through lunch breaks, and continued at night for a number of years in order to be able to finish out my goal of becoming a Registered Architect before I turned 30.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Woodstock Building Associates (WBA) is a residential design-build company with over 40 years in the industry. We are real people and we highly value our client relationships. We are here to offer our expertise in almost any home renovation, addition, or new construction project. We are known for our attention to detail, quality workmanship, and unique designs. Each project that we work on is different and must take on the personality of the client.
For example, at an initial design meeting for a new home build, a recent client told us that her dogs were very important members of her family. Working together with this client, we designed a number of dog-centered amenities, including an automatic dog watering station below her kitchen island, a dog house under her stairs, and an exterior access door with a doggie ramp!
Our goal is to take your ideas and make them a reality. I assist in the design, budget, contract, and project management of our projects. When you work with WBA, you are hiring a team of experts who will guide you through the entire process, while including you, the client, as an integral team member. It takes a village to build a project and that is what WBA brings to the table. We have designers, estimators, project coordinators, superintendents, carpenters, and plumbers who ensure your project, whether small or large, is well planned and expertly executed.
In short, we are a one-stop-shop. While there are many talented independent builders out there, the advantage to working with WBA is that we manage all aspects of your project from start to finish. The WBA approach is individualized – team members work with our clients from the designing and budgeting process through project completion and beyond. WBA’s reference list spans over three decades and serves as a testament to the exceptional craftsmanship and customer commitment which has defined WBA since it’s 1978 founding.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I believe I got very lucky that WBA was hiring when I was applying for jobs. WBA is a small company and when I joined the team, I was one of two designers on staff and business was still slow. Years later the company is growing and I am more than grateful to be a part of its future helping people build their dreams.
Contact Info:
- Address: 15 Main Street, Suite 11A Franklin, MA 02038
- Website: wba@wbahomes.com
- Phone: 508-570-4853
- Email: Wbahomes.com
- Instagram: https://www.pinterest.com/wbahomes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbahomes/
- Twitter: https://www.houzz.com/pro/wbahomes/woodstock-building-associates-llc
- Yelp: https://www.guildquality.com/wbahomes
Image Credit:
Focus Photos
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