WERK | Building Modern

We asked WERK to manage a major remodel of our 110-year old house (2.5 bathrooms, kitchen and dining room). This was by far the biggest home improvement project we'd ever done. The construction portion alone took about 10 months, and included special permitting (we live in a historic district), major demo, re-wiring and re-plumbing much of our house, structural engineering, plus all of the normal stuff (tile, paint, floors, walls, etc.). Our PM (Tom) and the PM of the design portion of our house (Erika) were fantastic. During construction, Tom was at our house basically every day. He was extremely sensitive to our comfort during the construction and suggested ways that the house could be made more livable despite missing its back half. He kept close tabs on the many trades involved. He checked regularly with us to make sure that we were satisfied with the work. He handled all of the inevitable issues that popped up along the way, and there were plenty of times where I honestly think he cared more about a cosmetic issue than me or my wife. The subs that Werk engaged were largely fantastic, too. We basically lived with our finish carpentry crew for like two months, and they were awesome - great work, super relaxed guys that we genuinely enjoyed hosting (thanks, Mikey, Mike and Jeff). When we had problems (like plumbing misreading the spec resulting in our not being able to use the fixtures we'd already purchased), the issues were resolved promptly and without incurring additional cost. There was only one trade that was less than superb (drywall), and deficiencies of their work were resolved by others or will be resolved at no expense as part of WERK's one-year service coverage. I think we ran over our ~14-month schedule by about 2 months. It felt like a long time when we were living in the house and eating off of a hotplate in the attic, but, realistically, not too bad. The whole project was not inexpensive, and we over-ran our budget by about 15 - 20%. I take responsibility for a lot of this - there were certainly things that we discovered along the way that we chose to add to the overall scope. I think it's also fair to acknowledge that we picked a pretty terrible year to do the work due to inflation. I also do think that WERK could have done more to help us prepare for more worst-case scenarios budget-wise. My wife and I are both busy with work and life, and neither of us wanted to be particularly hands-on with our renovation. We wanted a full-service construction management company with strong design sensibilities, and we absolutely got it with HAUS and WERK. It was expensive, but I think the best recommendation is that we now have a set of renovations that I'm confident could last another 110 years.

Haus Architectural firm in Indianapolis led me step by step through the design process involving the renovation of a significant portion of the first floor of my 84-year old home in the Broad Ripple neighborhood,. We continued to work together through Werk Bild. I was told repeatedly that they wanted me to love the outcome - and I do. I have a totally new, beautiful, and functional kitchen with the addition of a full bath. But beyond that was the guidance given me to achieve a harmonious whole on the entire first floor. The staff of Haus and Werk Bild are professionals with heart. An outstanding experience.

WERK managed the construction of our new home. We chose them to make sure that our modern home build was true to the original design intent. The close relationship between WERK and our architect HAUS insured this was the case. We are extremely happy with the outcome. Their attention to the finer design details throughout the build process meant we got exactly why was intended. We highly recommend the team at WERK!

Since the plans for our new home were very modern, we wanted to work with a company that specialized in modern architecture. Werk's portfolio was a great match for our style, and their fees were very reasonable. The project was completed in less than a year, which we were very pleased with. Considering the weather and the complete custom nature of the home, I think a 12-month timeline was better than should be expected. For Indiana, our home is rare. The style, architecutre, and materials used are not common here, so a lot of the trades required more supervision than normal. We were glad that Werk showed up on-site frequently to oversee the details and make sure the crews had a clear understanding of what was to be done. When there were problems (as there always are!), Werk would work with the vendor to either reduce a bill or have them come back to correct the problem. It was nice having them as our advocate with the trades because this is our only time having worked on a custom home, and it's significantly more challenging than working with one of the big-name, neighborhood builders. Looking back on the project, the only "negative" really becomes a positive because of how Werk handled the feedback. As mentioned, we'd never done something like this before, and we felt some of the friction we experienced during the build could have been smoothed out with clearer expectation management from Werk's side. When we brought this up with Chris Short (owner), he was receptive and even told us they had observed some of the same issue, prompting them to change some of the ways they were working with their current (and future) clients. I was impressed with his desire to improve an already excellent overall process! Werk knows their stuff—especially if your project is modern. You'll want their expertise on your side when you're taking on something like a new home or remodel! Highly recommended.

It was important for us that the construction outcome be consistent with the Architect's (HAUS| Architecture For Modern Lifestyles) design-intent. Thus, it seemed natural to choose a management company that would work directly with the Architect in coordinating the trades on a daily basis. What better way to do this than via their sister construction management company, WERK| Building Modern. Because of this connection, communication is much easier because the Architect actively engages daily to address ongoing details and design issues that come-up in a major remodeling project such as ours. As design decisions don't necessarily end at the Construction Documents stage, HAUS + WERK's engagement throughout the life of the project allowed us an ongoing, free-flowing design + construction dialogue from beginning to end. We were also able to take advantage of additional design opportunities that arose during construction. We have a long-standing relationship with the people at WERK. We have enjoyed this relationship along with their professionalism and ongoing dialogue/banter.

In looking to remodel our newly purchased home in Indianapolis (after moving here from San Francisco) we needed a construction management firm to take us through the remodel process that we were about to start with Haus architects. We could not be happier to have worked with Werk! From beginning to end, Werk has shown professionalism, punctuality and knowledge in the field. Derek S. Mills was a pleasure to have on site! Always respectful of our home and lives while getting the job done. Derek isn’t afraid to be hands on when needed. Not to mention he designed and hand made our spectacular repurposed “lath counter tops” in the kitchens. He recycled the lath from the walls that were taken down to open the rooms and used it to create charm and history filled tops that will fill you with warmth and joy at eye sight! Though we sourced materials, fixtures, appliances and furniture ourselves - Derek was always there to help guide us through the process with his expert advice, experience and knowledge. Staying on budget was of high importance to us and Werk worked patiently with us in balancing any “unexpected extras” with “scope reductions” in other areas. Werk exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for excellence and reliability in a construction management firm.

Chris Short served as our General Contractor to renovate our condo after sprinkler heads burst destroying our ceiling and our hardwood flooring, and damaging our walls and doors. Chris was able to obtain contractors who were experts in their particular fields and Chris managed those contractors to allow us to return to our condo in the shortest amount of time, and he worked very well with all the contractors involved in the project. Chris also helped us make decisions and provided recommendations on several things that came up during our renovation. process. Chris displayed remarkable poise and his experience and attitude convinced us that we would be back in our condo on time, within budget, and it would be better than it was before. All WERK personnel were very knowledgeable and completed their tasks efficiently and were willing to assist us in anything we needed while they were here. After one contractor failed to complete the work on our ceiling satisfactorily, it was made right by WERK personnel. We are grateful to WERK for what they did for us and would recommend them highly to anyone in need of a General Contractor or for the completion of other construction projects.

Chris Short and his company were great at guiding me through all aspects of my project. From beginning stages of master planning to project and construction management, Chris maintained a high level of professionalism, an ability to effectively communicate with anyone from the structural engineer to subs, to me without excess jargon. Chris captured what was desired in the project and render it to paper and design. He respected the historical aspects of the victorian home we renovated while introducing contemporary design and features. All of which are enjoyed to this day. I am glad my project was one he took on. It is one that has left a positive impact in our neighborhood and provided a great home to raise a family. Photos are the victorian project that Chris has already posted.

WERK managed a complex multi-faceted demolition, addition and remodel of a 1930 traditional brick home situated in a compact neighborhood. WERK successfully managed all the details, removed pressure from us, and continually presented multiple options to spark decision making. In particular, the firm always considered and presented options and areas for decisions in the context of the overarching design, our preferences, and the budget. The completed project is exceptional! Our only areas for improvement are in time and budget management to keep client expectations in check.

My client worked with HAUS for his design and WERK for his construction phase and was extremely happy with all the work that Chris Short and his team did. Furthermore, Chris & his team were very professional and respectful of my relationship with my client and made sure that we were both very comfortable throughout the entire process: making sure that they did everything possible to achieve exactly what my client's goals and vision were. HAUS & WERK are detailed to a T and go over and beyond to serve their clients and you can see it in the results!

We had a positive experience with Haus WERK/Build relevant to a kitchen renovation in our mid-century modern home. Project involved designing kitchen and dining area consistent with original architectural features and style of home, and complete renovation including demolition to the studs, all new plumbing and electrical, cabinetry, appliances, lighting, etc. Team was responsive to questions/concerns, sensitive to the fact that we were living in the home during renovation, and detail-oriented. We will hire them again for our next project!