Hresko Associates Inc.

Hresko Associates is an architecture firm, and that distinction is the first thing worth getting straight: this is a drawing-board practice on Bromfield Street in downtown Boston, not a crew that shows up with tools. The company says Philip Hresko founded it in 1983 and that he brings more than 40 years in design and construction, staying involved in every project. Its own site describes a portfolio weighted toward multifamily buildings, historic renovations and mixed-use work around the city rather than single-family home projects. The scale matches that. Houzz puts its typical job between $100,000 and $40 million, and the services it lists there are all design work — architectural design and drawings, floor plans, 3D rendering, space planning, drafting, historic building conservation, handicap-accessible design, and landscape plans. Nobody has written about working with them. The Houzz profile shows two posted projects and no reviews at all, so there is nothing from past clients about how the firm runs a project, holds a budget, or handles revisions. Houzz also prints a license number, MA 4403, which is the directory's own entry rather than something confirmed against a state registry. A homeowner planning a straightforward remodel is probably looking at the wrong kind of firm here; someone planning a gut renovation, an addition, or a historic building project that needs stamped drawings is closer to the mark. Before calling, ask whether they take projects at your budget — their posted range starts around $100,000 — and ask them directly for their Massachusetts architect registration so you can check it yourself.