At Blockhouse Residential, we are committed to delivering high-quality new construction homes that reflect the unique needs and visions of our clients. Our passion for excellence drives us to ensure every project is built with superior craftsmanship, attention to detail, and lasting value. We believe in transparency, collaboration, and innovation to create homes that exceed expectations. Regardless if you are building for yourself or you are a developer, our goal is to make every client’s dream a reality, with integrity and professionalism at the heart of everything we do.
Lauren Holmes is a Pittsburgh-based healthcare professional, educator, and entrepreneur whose career reflects a deep commitment to service, systems thinking, and family-centered care. As a founding member and owner of AZA Builders, she brings a rare combination of healthcare discipline, regulatory expertise, and operational insight to the company’s mission of building better communities through thoughtful development.
Professionally, Lauren serves as a Nurse and Compliance Executive at the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, a historic nonprofit dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of infants, children, and families through pediatric care, adoption services, and specialized programs. In this role, she operates at the intersection of medicine, ethics, and regulatory oversight—ensuring that clinical operations meet rigorous standards while maintaining the compassionate focus that defines pediatric care.
Lauren’s background in nursing grounds her leadership in a philosophy of care before convenience. Years of clinical experience have shaped her ability to navigate complex systems, advocate for vulnerable populations, and build processes that protect both patients and institutions. Her work in compliance reflects a sophisticated understanding of healthcare governance, quality assurance, and organizational accountability—skills that translate directly into the operational integrity she brings to AZA Builders.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lauren is also an educator and mentor, dedicated to cultivating knowledge, ethical practice, and resilience in the next generation of healthcare professionals. Her ability to translate complex regulatory frameworks into practical guidance has made her a trusted leader among colleagues and teams.
At home, Lauren’s most meaningful role is as wife to Andrew Holmes and mother to Atticus and Elodie. Family life anchors the values that define her work: responsibility, compassion, and long-term thinking. Those same values influence her involvement with AZA Builders, where the goal is not simply to construct buildings, but to contribute to communities where families can thrive.
Across healthcare, education, and entrepreneurship, Lauren Holmes exemplifies a rare blend of precision, empathy, and leadership. Whether she is strengthening patient care systems, guiding teams through regulatory complexity, or helping shape the vision of AZA Builders, her work reflects a consistent principle: Build systems that care for people.
Christa Ross is a Sales Executive for Blockhouse Residential and EcoCraft Homes, bringing more than 15 years of real estate experience and over 1,000 transactions to the homebuying process. With a background in communications, marketing, and technology from Ohio University, she focuses on helping clients navigate the path to building a new home with clarity and confidence. Christa believes the homebuilding experience should be straightforward and enjoyable, and she works closely with buyers to guide them through the design, planning, and purchasing process.
Christa has a strong focus on sustainable, high-performance homes and is passionate about helping clients make smart choices that benefit their families, their finances, and the environment. She is a National Association of REALTORS® GREEN Designee and a RE/MAX Green Specialist with extensive training in energy-efficient construction, indoor air quality, and sustainable building practices. In addition, Christa is a licensed real estate agent in the state of Pennsylvania with RE/MAX Select Realty and brings over 15 years of experience and more than 1,000 transactions under her belt. She is also a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), among the top 3% of real estate agents in the country, and a RE/MAX Hall of Fame Member. Outside of real estate, Christa enjoys mountain biking and skiing and serves on the Education Staff for the Professional Ski Instructors of America.
Andrew is always thinking 15 steps ahead on a project. This is his natural tendency after having a variety of roles both in the commercial and residential construction industry. Starting with heavy highway inspections in 2005, his role was to hold the contractor accountable ensuring they completed everything correctly as stated in the contract -- this required a keen eye for detail and oversight on many moving parts for high dollar projects. Eventually progressing to estimating and project management positions with prominent contractors.
While honing his skills, Andrew began contracting his own projects. With enough work to fill his plate, and loving the hands-on work, Andrew went all-in doing renovation work as an individual contractor. Andrew decided to then ratchet it up a notch and build a team to take on bigger projects and raise the bar of residential construction -- the result is Blockhouse Residential.
Andrew’s biggest contribution to Blockhouse is his foresight and ability to manage the many moving parts of running a team.
Lijia has a passion for helping small business owners and individuals to manage and grow their financial well-being. As a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant, Lijia has a strong accounting and tax background and provides Blockhouse Residential with expert advice, professionalism, responsiveness and peace of mind.
Coming from a hard-working family in China, Lijia arrived in the U.S. with a dream to start her own successful accounting practice. Working in real estate and construction industries and putting herself through business graduate school, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in finance and master’s degree in accounting and realized her dream with LZ CPA SERVICES LLC.
Matt joined the company after attending from Concord University. Matt has earned his Accredited Master Builder designation through the North Carolina Builders Institute. He is well versed in scheduling subcontractors, materials and working with clients on their specific desires. His keen eye for detail assures a high level of quality and satisfaction for our clients.
Matt embraces all challenges within the building industry and is determined to keep WHB abreast of the new technology available. This directly enhances our ability to stay on schedule and on your budget.
Dave holds a Bachelors Degree in business administration from Elmira College. He held progressive professional positions in sales, marketing, and management for an international company before founding WHB Inc. Dave’s extensive experience, working with clients from all cultures and backgrounds propel him to the forefront of the NC building industry.
Dave has earned his Accredited Master Builder designation through the North Carolina Builders Institute, and his Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation through the NAHB University of Housing. These accreditations took numerous months of dedication, study and preparation to achieve, working with a Master Builder and CGP provides the level of professionalism beyond many builders’ capabilities.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Carl embodies the pride, passion and integrity that comes with calling the Steel City home. A Sergeant First Class in the Army National Guard, serving since 2014, Carl continues to serve his country with distinction. He is also an Eagle Scout and a proud graduate of Virginia Tech, where he earned a degree in Real Estate / Property Management and Project Management in 2018.
After college, Carl launched his career in property management, excelling in client relations and maintenance coordination. Since 2020, he has been involved in residential renovations and house flips, combining hands-on expertise with a commitment to quality. Known for rolling up his sleeves and working across all trades, Carl thrives on tackling challenges head-on to ensure every project is completed efficiently and to the highest standard.