It is not by coincidence that Page Builders, jointly run by siblings Catherine, Steven and Russell Page, has found itself firmly seated in the ultra-custom luxury home building business. The three were raised in a tradition of fine home building. Their father, Charles L. Page, has been a preeminent architect and developer in Chicago's exclusive North Shore suburbs for over 40 years. Throughout their father's career, and from an early age, the children could be found working in various capacities within Mr. Page's business. Building has become second nature to the three Page children. This dedicated team of sister and brothers is an amazing collection of individuals. Each lends their own strengths to the business in such a way that makes Page Builders a unique residential custom homebuilder.
Catherine Page organizes many facets of the business. She manages the office expertly, handling bidding, insurance and all financial matters. Essentially, her job is building the house on paper, working with the architect, clients and subcontractors in order to assure that every detail is attended to. She has both the confidence and assertiveness to deal with the most experienced subcontractor, and yet her relaxed, friendly personality is a great asset for client interaction.
Russell Page is an experienced field supervisor, who knows how to create magnificent homes from extremely detailed plans and specifications. He spends his time supervising crews, troubleshooting and insuring quality control. Russ has a hands-on approach, enjoying his participation in the entire construction process, from staking out the house to personally attending to the final touches as the house wraps up.
Steven Page has the unique ability to conceptualize as well as implement his ideas. Besides being a registered architect, he has five years experience as a union carpenter. Steve's talents include designing luxury homes, seeing that the plans and specifications are meticulously covered, and working in the field overseeing construction. Like Russ, Steve is often "in the trenches" with the construction crew seeing that there are no comprises in even the smallest detail.
Charles Page has long been considered one of the finest architects in the North Shore. When a homeowner decides to sell a home designed and built by Charles Page, the MLS lists the residence as being a "Charles Page original". He began building his own custom luxury designs upon realizing that satisfying his sense of excellence would require complete control over every aspect of a project. That included acquisition of home sites, concept design, planning, construction, and even landscaping. Eventually Charles, more intent on the design and development aspects of the business, decided to leave behind the headaches and struggles of the building industry. This prompted his three children to establish their own company, and Page Builders, Inc. was created.
They started out building their father's detailed luxury home designs, as he needed a builder to work with. He knew that he could trust this home designs to Page Builders because of their experience, professionalism and integrity. Since that time they have been rapidly gaining a reputation for themselves on their own accord. Catherine notes, "At first everyone thought that we worked for our father. They did not seem to realize that all contracts were with Page Builders. In time, people began to realize that while we work with our father in the execution of his designs and in his dedication to quality, we are our own business with equally high standards."
The Page siblings are known for their custom approach. They have a philosophy that revolves completely around the client. "No change is ever impossible" says Russ. "In the construction of the type of homes we build, we encourage our clients to have a close working relationship with us. Our goal is to have a happy customer no just when they move in, but five or 50 years thereafter. That's our bottom line." This attitude is rare in the custom home building industry.
It is often viewed as a problem when a client decides to make major changes in a structure once construction has commenced. Steve realized, however, that "oftentimes a client is unable to visualize what a home will look like from a blueprint. A two dimensional drawing simply cannot replace a three dimensional rendering or model. We provide a model of each home that we build for the benefit of the homeowner, and from that point through completion we welcome changes that will satisfy our client as well as improve the integrity of the overall project."
A Page home is a unique combination of old and new features. Typically, they contain traditional, time-tested design elements as well as the most up-to-date innovations. Both Steven and Charles Page have traveled and researched architecture throughout Europe, taking photographs and various building details that they have incorporated in their home designs. They have collected a library of books dealing with every aspect of traditional design, which they also use in their home designs. But a Page home is one that looks into the future as well as into the past. In this pursuit, Page Builders has always incorporated all of the latest technological advances to come into the home building market. As a result, in a typical Page home one may find ornate plaster cornices in a living room, a intricate Old World limestone fireplace mantel in the great room, as well as a state-of-art security system and a fully computerized whirlpool in the spacious master bath.
Page Builders believes that the quality of their business is enhanced by the people they work with. Says Catherine, "We work closely with our clients on a daily basis. Trust and open communication is imperative. We have worked with some outstanding people, and establish and maintain many friendships long after the house is completed. Without a doubt our references are outstanding." Adds Steve, "When you see someone 100 percent satisfied, it makes you feel great. Moreover, you feel as though you have made a genuine contribution to the art of building."
The Pages take a great deal of pride in their home construction and reputation. They are very selective about the subcontractors they choose to work with. While competitive bidding is company policy, contracts are also awarded based on quality, experience and dependability. For Catherine, Steven and Russ, some of the relationships with their contractors go back 40 years. Page Builders, along with their contractors, share a common goal of commitment to quality and service it uphold an outstanding reputation.
Page Builders will continue to grow as they take on new projects, but will always remain most interested in being a smaller ultra-custom residential homebuilder. They refuse to succumb to the "bigger is better" mentality, taking on salaried project managers who have no stake in the Page reputation. For companies strictly in business for profit this dedication might not be important. For Page Builders, however, their attention to detail, dedication to quality and commitment to reputation is their main priority. That is what tradition is all about.
-- Chicago Builder / Architect Dec. 1989.
P: 847.446.8822 F: 847.446.8845