Interview with Noel Sanchez

Noel Sanchez is the President and founder of Casa Buena Builders, a historic restoration company based in Providence, RI. A resident of the West End, Noel brings over 25 years of experience to his company.

More about Casa Buena Builders: A family owned and operated residential construction company with offices in Providence, RI, they specialize in residential renovation, historic restorations, custom wood working, copper and slate work. Casa Buena aims to produce durable, aesthetically pleasing homes, while offering the customer all the information and support they need.

1. How did you become interested in doing historic preservation work?

I bought an old house in 1994 over in the West End of Providence. Then I started my company [Case Buena Builders] and doing a lot of work in the neighborhood. I liked old houses, and I learned how to fix them! It wasn’t any more complicated than that.

2. What do you like best about restoring historic properties?

I like the challenge! It’s a bit more creative restoring an older building rather than building new. Also, I like the idea of preserving materials, rather than increasing the demand on the environment. Instead of demolishing [old buildings], let’s make them work again. It’s also nice to try and understand what the original designers were thinking when restoring an historic property and how it worked for them.

3. What advice do you have for homeowners considering a rehab/restoration project?

Balance! The pressure of modernizing the house, sometimes, conflicts with the design of the original building. So, you have to have balance or compromise. Sometimes, modernizing a building can stress it beyond its ability to function. This happens especially with energy efficiency, particularly due to moisture issues. You’re trading the circulation of the air, which kept the house healthy, in order to seal it all up. This will cause the building to deteriorate in ways it didn’t before. Where is the point where energy efficiency will make your house not function properly?

4. You work with PPS' Building Works Program. What do you think is needed to continue to attract workers to specialized historic trades?

In the big picture of things, as I see it, we’re paying the cost of pushing higher education for everybody. It was seen as a way to get ahead, to go to college. I think the push for higher education for everybody, primarily with the financial incentive behind it, leaves the trades as an option for those who couldn’t make it. This causes the trades to be devalued within our society. To attract people to historic trades now, you have to start when people are young. If we can get involved when kids are in middle school, that will help. There’s the Providence After School Alliance and other organizations that are opportunities for exposing kids to the trades.

5. Do you have a favorite historic house in Rhode Island?

I like all the old houses from the 1700s! I like the Peter Greene house in West Warwick, the Phillip Walker House in East Providence, the Hopkins House in Providence, and more.