Builder's Apprentice

In 1986, Andy Hoffman quite an engineering job, declined acceptances for graduate school at Harvard and Berkeley and accepted a carpenter's job in Nantucket. Unbeknownst to him, he had entered the world of high-end custom building. Within two years, he was supervising the construction of a 29,000 square-foot mansion on 180-acres estate in Fairfield County Connecticut. This is a book about his personal and professional journey, from apprentice to builder through the tutelage of a seasoned and hard-nosed builder. It describes how uniquely high-end homes are built for select clients, a glimpse into the lives of the blue-collar workers, architect, engineers and clients that come together to make these projects a reality. At its core, this is a coming-of-age story, a celebration of the pursuit of creative impulses, and a story about defying the “rules” and finding a personal calling in life.