Finding the Balance: The Attias Group Works to Restore historic Homes While Innovating for the Future

The family-run Attias Group is Concord’s only non-franchise residential real estate office. We sat down with owner Zur Attias to learn more about his team’s passion for brokerage, unique interest in restoring historic homes, and bringing a fresh approach to developing new properties in the community.

When The Attias Group decided to engage in renovation and new construction projects, they conducted a needs analysis to really look at what the community members desired for housing and where there were gaps. Several sharp trends emerged – the need for first-floor bedrooms and multiple office spaces, smaller footprints, and housing for empty-nesters and young families that offer walkability to town centers and amenities.

Out of this needs analysis, The Attias Group is working on several different projects. Brainstorming with Bentley Building Corp., one of Concord’s most thoughtful and prolific builders, The Attias Group will represent them on a series of multifamily and smaller footprint homes in West Concord that offer terrific walkability. The second project – built by Attias – is a new construction, three-bedroom home. These aren’t readily available in Concord. Both projects provide great options for young families just getting started or empty-nesters looking to stay in the town they love as they scale down their need for space.

The Attias Group has carefully curated a network of thoughtful developers to partner with in the quest to solve some of Concord’s housing challenges. A priority for Zur Attias is to work closely with builders, contractors, and other vendors who live here in Concord. “When you live right here in Concord, you appreciate the details of a project and how it will impact your community – your fellow residents and your own family,” he said.

“It’s very important to me that the projects we collaborate around have a lasting and positive impact. So it’s important to me to work alongside fellow Concordians.”

Thoughtful Restoration

Concord is so unique in the world, and a big part of that character and charm stems from the care and preservation of the historic homes that date back to before the United States became a country. Historic restoration is an essential part of protecting this history – but so is thoughtful renovation. This presents an option for hanging on to the story and charm of a building that might otherwise be torn down – and yet, allows that building to be updated to become useful and energy efficient to meet the needs of today’s families.

“As a father, and as a member of this close-knit community, I think about what kind of legacy I want to leave for my friends, my family, my sons,” said Zur. “Thoughtful restoration and architecturally-appropriate renovation are important tools to create homes for a modern generation while preserving the character and charm that make Concord such a special place.”

Concord Culinary Homes is a project that focuses on restoring historic buildings rather than tearing them down. This community is built with a farm-to-table spirit built into every aspect of the parcel and homes. This gardenbased community with four homes includes protected natural views, restored wetlands (invasive plants are removed), and access to the land for neighbors to enjoy as well.

The property features vegetable gardens for the residential community to enjoy – promoting healthy living and a passion for fresh foods. Any excess vegetables are to be donated to a local food pantry. Outdoor space is further celebrated with an apple orchard, hammock stands, and a trail for the residents and surrounding neighbors to enjoy – including access to a pond and wild-grown berries. An outdoor cooking shed for all four homeowners to enjoy and a wildflower cutting garden encourage social time and a connection to nature. Concord Culinary Homes will be located on Hatch Farm Lane (formerly 430 Old Bedford Road) – a tribute to the history of the 2,000 sq ft farmhouse that will become a three-bedroom restoration project. The barn from the farm will be renovated into a fourbedroom home. And two additional homes will feature much sought-after first-floor bedrooms, great living space for a family to gather, and upstairs bedrooms to accommodate visiting kids and grandkids.

Hatch Farm, pictured here, will be thoughtfully renovated as part of the Concord Culinary Homes project.

Photo from The Attias Group

Innovative Solutions and Future Forward Thinking

New project collaborations also focus on areas that are walkable to rail stations and that prioritize using electricity rather than fossil fuels. Environmentally friendly upgrades include solar (or solar ready), heat pumps, and other innovative technologies.

In a tribute to Concord’s modern architecture, The Attias Group has partnered with Mattworks, a local designer, to create what may be Concord’s only new construction one-bedroom home. “It’s an interesting design – very modern and in the tradition of Japanese architect Tadao Ando,” said Zur. “In a nod to the innovative approach of the Deck house, as well as the mid-century modern architecture of Conantum, this home will be an ultramodern concrete and glass structure. We are designing it for the person or couple who only needs one bedroom plus a study or library. Our local demographics have really changed, and we see that trend continuing. Two working adults living in the south end in Boston today may want to have a more healthy, artful life in Concord….an innovative home like this one may be what brings them here.”

And so, The Attias Group works to balance the traditional and the new – the past and the future. “Thoughtful renovation and historical protections will always be an important part of ensuring the enduring nature of Concord,” said Zur. “But the future requires careful thought to integrate needed change without sacrificing our town’s character. Times are changing. Bylaws are changing. And an integrated awareness leads to thoughtfulness in design and planning,” said Zur. “This is such a rewarding experience – and it’s great to see how much my sons love it as well. As a Concordian, and as a father, to be a part of this important work is the very best legacy I could wish for.

©The Attias Group

The article made possible through the support of The Attias Group

Zur Attias named Top 10 Realtors to Follow in 2022 by USA Today

“Zur Attias of The Attias Group is consistently named one of Massachusetts’ highest-producing residential real estate brokers. Attias helms the independent, family-run agency that prides itself on providing outstanding concierge-level service for residential and real estate investment clients. With a breadth of industry experience, the team delivers business acumen in all areas of the buying and selling process. Optimizing profits for their sellers has always been a priority. His team has perfected a mix of specialized services and marketing strategies across many mediums. Additionally, Attias works on development projects in Greater Boston.” – usatoday.com, January 2022.