The studio
A 24-person studio of architects, builders, and craftspeople
Architects who can frame a wall. Builders who can read a plan critically. The kind of integrated team that makes the design phase shorter and construction smoother.
The studio at a glance
24
Studio members
9
Architects
8
Project leads + builders
12
Years avg tenure
Founders + principals
The leadership
James Hartwell — Founding Principal
AIA. Yale School of Architecture, 1988. Founded Hartwell Homes 1998 after 10 years at Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Lead architect on most major projects.
Eleanor Wong — Principal Architect
AIA. Harvard GSD, 2003. Joined the studio 2007. Leads modern projects + much of our coastal Maine work. Featured in Architectural Record + Dwell.
David Chen — Principal Builder
MIT Civil Engineering, 1995. 18 years on-site experience prior to joining Hartwell. Owns the constructability + cost-management side of the practice.
Margaret Liu — Principal, Pre-construction
BS Construction Management, Cornell. 14 years at Hartwell. Owns the GMP estimating, value engineering, and supply-chain coordination.
Architecture team
9 architects
Senior architects
Three project-lead-grade architects. Each runs 2–3 projects concurrently from schematic design through construction-administration phase.
Project architects
Three mid-level architects. Each owns documentation + coordination on 1–2 projects, often as deputies to senior architects.
Junior architects + interns
Three early-career architects. Drawing production, model-making, materials research. Often promoted to project architects within 3–4 years.
Drafting + visualization
Two specialists in 3D modeling + visualization. We use Rhino + Revit; renderings produced in-house for client communication.
Builders + project leads
8 site + project leadership
Project managers
Four senior project managers. Each runs 1 active project at any time. On-site presence daily; primary owner contact during construction.
Site supervisors
Two senior site supervisors. Each leads daily site coordination, sub-coordination, and safety.
Pre-construction estimators
Two estimators specializing in early-stage cost modeling + GMP estimating.
Studio operations
The other 7
Permitting + compliance
Two specialists. Building permits, zoning variances, conservation review, historic district approval, environmental approvals where applicable.
Studio operations + finance
Two operations leads. Project accounting, financial reporting to clients, contracts, insurance.
Studio manager
Owns the studio environment — meeting calendar, materials library, internal logistics. Often the first voice clients hear when they call the studio.
Photography + documentation
One photographer + studio archivist. Documents every project from groundbreaking through completion. Material for press + portfolio + future-project reference.
Marketing + outreach
One marketing lead. Press relationships, journal-writing, prospective-client correspondence.
Craft partners
The 12 specialty trades we bring to every project
Carpentry + framing
Three carpentry shops we work with project after project. Hand-fit timber framing, traditional + modern wood structure.
Masonry + stone
Two stone masonry shops. Stone walls, fireplaces, patios, foundations. Most of our masons are 20+ year veterans.
Plaster + lime work
One plaster shop with lime + traditional methods. Used on most of our work — interior walls, exterior stucco, decorative plaster.
Finish carpentry + millwork
Two custom millwork shops. Doors, windows, cabinetry, paneling. Finish-grade work that holds up.
Mechanical / electrical / plumbing
Long-standing relationships with regional MEP firms. They know our standards; specs are tight; surprises are rare.
Tile + finishes
Specialty tile + flooring partners. Stone, ceramic, custom slab work.
Landscape integration
We collaborate with select landscape architects + design-build firms. Site decisions get made together with the home design.
Team questions
What clients ask
- No. Senior architect + senior project manager are with you from first call to keys handover. The studio doesn’t pyramid the work.