OUR ETHOS
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.
OUR TEAM
Lauren Holmes
President
Lauren Holmes has been immersed in the Contracting field since 2006. She has dedicated her professional career to the education and well being of others. It is the combination of her professional and personal interests that have led to the identification of a need in the Home improvement / Construction industry. Thus she created Blockhouse Residential with the intention of providing a means of giving clients High Quality, Luxury projects singularly centered on sustainability while we progress into the future of our city.
As a leading firm in the Greater Pittsburgh area, Lauren’s team can deliver your project using innovative and thoughtful care.
Kevin O’Connell
Director of Operations
Kevin has been in residential construction for over 12 years. His willingness to overcome obstacles and focus towards details has played a key factor in him becoming a rising star in the industry. Starting out as an electrical school graduate, Kevin delivered a great skill set in the field, not only as an electrician, but filling in wherever he could. Throughout his journey in construction he became a true leader. This skillset has allowed him to take the leap into management.
Kevin & his wife (Macy) have recently relocated back to Pittsburgh from Dallas, TX, where he spent numerous years working as a Project manager for a design firm. His attention to detail and his focus on achieving success has played a large factor here at Blockhouse. Kevin is a problem solver, critical thinker and all-around good guy. We know that whether the job is just starting up or a few days away from finishing, his determination and attention to detail will make sure the job is completed to everyone's satisfaction.
Ellen Gardner
Project Coordinator
Ellen draws on over 25 years of project coordination and design expertise to make the client experience positive and the construction project successful. Knowing that a well-coordinated, highly communicative team is key to keep the project running smoothly; this has led her to success in both the residential and commercial building industry.
Starting out in the contract furniture and design industry, Ellen had the opportunity to collaborate with several companies on facility relocation. This included design development, move management, product procurement and adaptive reuse all while overseeing and coordinating various trades throughout the project. Ellen soon found that being responsible for all of these components produced personal satisfaction in knowing the project was successful.
Andrew Holmes
VP of Construction
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 (Lydia) Zheng, CPA, CMA
Chief Financial Officer
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
Build New with Blockhouse
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