The most complex custom homes need more than one skilled team; they need two teams that trust each other. Think Architecture has found that trust in Hess Construction, a partnership built on shared precision, clear communication, and a mutual refusal to cut corners.
Arden Hess, founder and owner of Hess Construction, started the company over 40 years ago out of love for the craft. Today, Hess Construction approaches every home as if it were their own, embracing complexity with the skill and communication that avoids cutting corners.
Think Architecture has partnered with Hess on some of its most complex custom homes, pairing joint precision, quality, and innovation.
Precision From the Start
Hess’s process starts long before construction. The team conducts a comprehensive initial review of all plans and materials with architects, engineers, designers, and the client, then builds a 3D model that carries through every stage of the project.
“It’s a little extra work on our part, but it makes it so everything goes faster, and then we’re correct with everything,” Hess explains. “Our subcontractors really like it because they know exactly when and where to put everything, and it just makes it flow so much better.”
That upfront planning surfaces problems early. “We’re able to find anything that’s not exactly correct and resolve issues before we get to it later on in construction,” Hess says.
Think Architecture’s job is to translate a client’s vision into architectural reality and solve each challenge with creative, thoughtful design. Hess’s precision and construction experience help the two teams land on the best solution for every challenge, together. As Hess puts it, “Think is very thorough with their initial design, so they’re also tracking things to make sure they work correctly.”
Complementary Processes
Arden Hess and Think Architecture’s Jason Scott, project manager, have worked together on two projects after a client introduction. “One of the homeowners must have researched us out, and then she introduced us to Think,” Hess says.
“He was very punctual,” Hess says of Scott. “Out in the field, we’re trying to get it all done as fast as we can, and we have questions as things come up. They’re really good at getting answers for us fast, and that makes a big difference.”
Think Architecture stays involved at every stage of a project, a rhythm that complements Hess Construction’s own thorough process well.
Standards That Never Slip
Precision doesn’t end with a 3D model. As each project comes together, the Hess Construction team meets with the client at least weekly, physically marking out framed components on the floor so homeowners and subcontractors alike can walk through and visualize the space before it’s built. The result is greater precision and faster execution.
“They will come to my jobs first because they get in and out faster, and it’s right,” Hess says of his subcontractors. His standards leave no room for interpretation: “A subcontractor is only going to perform to the expectation of the contractor. They come on my jobs, they know they’re either doing it right or they’re changing it. There’s no in between with me. We don’t compromise anything anywhere.”
That same discipline extends to complexity. “A lot of the homes we do, the designer and the architects have very specific details,” Hess says, and accounting for every one of them makes Think Architecture’s role easier, too. Where other contractors might decline a difficult project, Hess looks for it. “That’s one of the things we thrive on,” he says. The harder the job, the more he wants it.
Personal Builds
Good work comes easier when a project feels personal. Hess builds his understanding of a project and his relationship with the client from day one, and neither ends when construction does. “I’ve got clients I built for 20-25 years ago, and we still hang out,” he says. Many return for additions or entirely new homes. “I think it’s all because we care,” he says. Every home gets built as if it were his own, and it shows in the result.
Repeat Partnerships
Scott has worked with Hess Construction on both projects the two firms have completed together, the Tilley Residence and the Cartwright Residence. “Hess Construction is exactly the kind of builder you want on a custom home,” Scott says. “Arden Hess has been in the industry for years, and he uses that experience to seamlessly bring complex designs to life. He doesn’t shy away from difficult builds; instead, he welcomes the challenge and always delivers the thoughtful, creative solutions the project needs.”
Quality design, upfront preparation, and clear communication turn even the most complicated homes into a shared achievement, one that Think Architecture and Hess Construction keep building on, one client at a time.
