Charles Ochello Jr's gradual journey from a medical doctor to a custom home builder was something like his goofy-footed surfing style - slowly feeling the board rise under your feet as you catch the wave. The founder of custom builder Vitruvius Built in Park City was a veteran of New Orleans emergency rooms, a New Orleans Saints sideline physician, and even the coordinating physician for Super Bowl 47 while eventually recognizing that redeveloping French Quarter properties as luxury homes was an even better match for his vision and philosophy.
"There were transitional skills from my time as a physician," he recalls from his Park City office. "Managing teams in a high stakes environment, working with elite athletes and clientele, understanding emotional intelligence, and the processes that drive intelligent decisions.”
Charles says medicine and building helped him become "a subject matter expert" in phenomenology, the way people experience meaning in the world, in this case, their intimate home environment. Helping his dad build their family home helped shape his own unique view. "I love that you can create a beautiful home out of dirt, and it lasts a lifetime," he says earnestly. "It's one of my most challenging, rewarding experiences." He named the company for the Roman engineer who wrote definitive architectural works in Julius Caesar's time.
Charles and his wife Lindsay discovered Park City six years ago with their three children, setting up house in Silver Creek, "Grand Central Elk Station," he laughs. "It was love at first sight."
Christmas with the Ochellos is a deep phenomenological dive. Each year, the family relocates to another country for weeks on end. "We did South Africa last year and we're headed to Thailand, Vietnam and Bali," Charles says enthusiastically.
"I skew workaholic because I love what I do," he adds. "I love making a client's building opportunity unforgettable.”
“As restaurateur Will Guidara says, 'Service is black and white; hospitality is color.'"