FEBRUARY 2024

Welcome to the Wellen Construction Blog

Yes, we officially have a Blog!

After almost 40 years of being in the business of building and renovating Boston luxury homes and luxury homes across New England, we decided to take a leap of faith and start a blog. It’s about time, right? To kick us off, we sat down with Wellen Construction Owner Charlie Gadbois and Project Manager Norman Wellen to talk about how our company and industry have evolved over the last 40 years and what’s in store in the company months.

Let’s get into our conversation.

How did Wellen Construction come to be 40 years ago? What was its mission then, and how has it evolved?
We are a different company than we were 40 years ago. Forty years ago, when our cousin, Rob Wellen, started Wellen Construction, he built and sold really small houses. He was a one-person band doing all the work himself. He continuously built and sold these homes. Rob was an incredible craftsman and was recognized for building quality homes. He was known as the “best builder in Marlborough.” The first construction was much smaller than the homes we build today. I took the reins in 1989 when we were building 4-5 houses at a time, and in 2,000, we started to build homes on a larger scale. We got invited to build a big house in Southborough; then we got invited to build the house for the president of Bose, and everything spiraled upward.

Somewhere along the line, we got so busy building for people, which has continued for almost 40 years. It’s like watching your kids grow. You don’t see him growing. It just all of a sudden happens.

Charlie Gadbois | Wellen Construction Owner
What sets Wellen Construction apart from its competitors?
Nothing sets us apart from the 5-6 excellent builders in Eastern Massachusetts, nor do we compete against each other on the quality of work because we’re all using the best people. A difference for us is that we recognize that our clients aren’t just building a product. They’re not a reseller trying to get us to build this product for the least amount of money as quickly as we can. They’re spending a good portion of their wealth on it. And so it’s almost a romantic journey for them. We consciously know that the experience we give them, or the experience that we manifest through our actions, is equally important to them, whether they realize it or not, as the product we provide. We can provide the most beautiful product, but if it is a “Hell Ride” the whole way, they won’t see it the same way.

Charlie Gadbois | Wellen Construction Owner
Norman, how did you come into your role at Wellen?
Charlie, Rob, and I are cousins. So it started there. But more seriously for me, it started when I was in high school. I began to do miscellaneous work on job sites for Charlie and Rob. Then, I was out doing my own thing, working full-time at a millwork shop and going to school full-time for architectural drafting and design. Right after getting my degree, I got a call from Charlie to help with some Autocad work on his project. From that work, Charlie asked if I wanted to join Wellen full-time as a project manager on a 13,000 sq. ft. project in Newton. That was 13 years ago. And from there, it’s been bigger, better, and more complicated projects. I’ve always been in the trades and used all the knowledge I gained in the work I do for Wellen Construction.

Norman Wellen | Project Manager
What is your favorite project and why? Were there any challenges associated with this project?
My favorite project is the Sunlit Sanctuary in Lexington, MA. Our current partners, Marcus Gleysteen Architects, referred us for the project. We were thrilled for the opportunity. The site is on the end of a dead-end street, and the home is over 13,000 sq. ft. The home’s architecture had many intricate details and requirements that weren’t cookie-cutter. So, there were a lot of exciting challenges with this one. Luckily, the architect and the construction manager were terrific to work with. And the result was spectacular. It’s a great example of quality and expertise.

Norman Wellen | Project Manager
Finally, can you tell us a little about some of the projects Wellen is working on?
We’ve got a couple of really incredible projects in Newton. One is a new build, and the other is a complete gut renovation and expansion. It’s a stunning 1910 12,000 sq. ft. luxury home on a hill overlooking Beacon Street. Many architectural details were preserved in the renovation process while creating more functional living spaces, bringing them up to standards for today’s modern living. In addition, we are kicking off a project in Cambridge and stage two of our work on a 14,000 sq. ft. meticulously built home in Concord.

Norman Wellen | Project Manager

Thanks, Charlie and Norman, for that perfect intro to Wellen Construction. Be sure you’re following along on Instagram to see more of our work, hoping it will inspire and take your breath away.

Let’s keep building!

The Wellen Construction Team