About Us

Artisan Builders designs, builds and fabricates buildings, interiors, furniture and lighting for residential and commercial clients. Our experience spans 40 years of custom building including collaborations with prominent architects and interior designers.

Based in Somerville Massachusetts, Artisan Builders is well versed in the idiosyncrasies of the aging housing stock found in the surrounding towns. We recognize the high cost of housing and the need to adapt existing structures to the demands of modern life in smaller spaces. As such we focus on the design and construction of small highly efficient spaces that transform our homes into “machines for living” (Le Corbusier) .

Each renovation, addition or new home presents a unique set of conditions and challenges. We work diligently to integrate the requirements of the building with the goals of our clients to deliver intelligently conceived spaces tailored to individual lifestyles.

Our team includes highly experienced professional designers, engineers and tradesmen many of whom have worked with us for over 20 years. These professionals are engaged in the early stages of the design process to offer creative solutions to the problems often found in our antiquated houses.

Artisan Builders’ design / build approach is efficient and well suited to time and budget constraints. We develop designs with the clients budget in mind. Jobs are value engineered from concept to construction. Priorities are evaluated and addressed. Design options are presented to fit the expectations of quality, functionality and budget.

Sustainability is paramount in our approach to building . The lumber and other products used in our construction are ethically and sustainably sourced. The entire project is evaluated from inception for opportunities to reduce energy and waste. The use of recycled materials and components of excellent provenance is encouraged. Glass block salvaged from an early 20th century municipal building, stone slabs from the lobby of a 1970’s brutalist bank lobby or stairs build from the longleaf pine joists of the Pledge of Allegiance building (1892) add distinct character to otherwise spare modern renovations. Wide pine sheathing from a demolished wall may be reborn as an interior door in a nod to the original period of that home. We look for opportunities like this out of respect for the forests and foundries from which these items were originally sourced as well as the energy to make and transport these materials. City dwellers use less climate altering energy than suburban and rural dwellers due to smaller living units and public transportation. Making those smaller units attractive and functional for individuals and families makes city living a viable option reducing suburban sprawl.

In addition to chic salvage, Artisan Builders gives preference to locally produced building materials. New England is blessed with native hardwoods and stone that fit organically into our understated design vocabulary. We may incorporate live edge wood slabs to build furniture or stairs and encourage the use of Vermont slate or soapstone for countertops.

Artisan Builder’s principal, Robert Caruso has been crafting custom projects for over 40 years. Caruso worked as a laborer to pay for college (1974 -78) where a liberal arts education piqued an interest in architecture. This interest led to the restoration of the precolonial Georgian Benjamin Simons Tavern (Williamstown MA, 1979-80) and the Bauhaus style Mellor River House (Prince Frederick, MD, Robert Gatje AIA ,Marcel Breuer Associates NYC, 1981-82). Hooked on the process of making buildings, Robert studied architecture at the Boston Architectural Center while starting a custom building business (Caruso Design / Build) working on projects with architecture professors. CD/B went on to collaborate with notable New England architects Jeremiah Eck, Kent Duckham, Maurice Childs (CBT), and Elkus Manfredi among others. Caruso laid down the hammer in 2003 to take the position of Housing Rehabilitation Director for the non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) where he developed a program to assess, finance and manage the renovation of blighted homes in thirty major cities across the United States. NACA and its housing rehabilitation program still flourishes today. Picking up the hammer again in 2005, Artisan Builders was born as a way to provide a fully integrated design and construction service for small to medium sized residential and light commercial clients. This seamless design and build method allows for the flexibility to refine the project as ideas and opportunities emerge. One of our greatest strengths is in the informal network of trades and craftspeople many of which have worked with us for decades. A select team of workers is organized around the scope of work specific to each project. This collaborative approach provides the depth of knowledge to provide thoughtful solutions to the challenges of working with antique housing and the complexities of new products as well as evolving building codes.