About Us

Jonathan Lawrence + Emma Britton

Lawrence and Britton Builders LLC is a Hudson Valley/ Catskills based building firm seeking the opportunity to create a more energy efficient and socially responsible built environment. We at Lawrence and Britton welcome all manner of renovation and remodeling projects with the ability to service projects seeking PHIUS passive house certification

Jonathan grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a commercial fishing port with a rich architectural history and a high standard of residential home craftsmanship. He has 25+ years in the building trades. He is a PHIUS CPHB Certified Passive House Build

Jonathan began his career in 1997 as a wooden boat building apprentice at Beetle Inc. A traditional wooden boat shop that celebrated its 100^th year in 2021 making it the nation’s oldest, continuously produced sailboat used for competitive racing. After his time in boatbuilding, Jonathan shifted his focus to high end residential construction in his coastal community where he was trained in all phases of modern home construction and historical preservation and remodeling. Jon’s later years as a construction manager for one of the nation’s largest luxury residential builders left him wanting to learn a better, less wasteful way to build.

In New Hampshire, Jon began his journey with high performance, sustainable building practices such as timber framing with site harvested timber and constructing a super-insulated air-tight building envelope. After 7 years in New Hampshire subcontracting to various builders in the White Mountains region Jon moved to the Catskills to join forces with Emma and create Lawrence + Britton Builders LLC.  

Emma began her career in the 90’s, studying in Paris, honing the lost art of couture clothing construction. She won the Silver Needle International Fashion Award from Marist College and went on to become an assistant designer at Liz Claiborne where she learned hat design and construction. Her hands-on experience with designing, planning and fabricating in 3 dimensions has made her crossover to the world of residential construction a natural fit.  Emma’s focused attention to detail, meticulous nature and design prowess compliment Lawrence + Britton’s tried and true building methods with a unique perspective on form, space and order. Emma also applies her skill set in the field as a full-time carpenter and finisher, working alongside Jon to ensure that every detail is attended.

Both Emma and Jonathan are firm believers in the ideal that our best work will always be found at the place where function and beauty intersect. Lawrence + Britton Builders LLC looks forward to hearing from you and discussing how we can find this balance in your projects with an eye on sustainable building practices and energy efficiency.