Director & Licensed Building Practitioner.

I never wanted to be a builder…

It just wasn’t something I’d ever considered. Now I couldn’t imagine being anything else.

The start of that journey began with an opportunity.
A friend asked, “Have you ever thought about becoming a builder?” I truly hadn’t. As chance would have it, he needed an apprentice and after two days on trial, I was hooked.

Our main scope of work was high end heritage homes and architecturally designed new builds in the greater Auckland region. The classical elements blended with modern design, to me, was captivating.

Throughout my time on the tools, I learned many things about building. I learned that it wasn’t what I expected it to be. I learned there is a huge diversity in building - In structure, in form, in aesthetic, in material, the list goes on... but that’s one of the things I love most about the trade. There’s always something new to learn, something new to explore and I find myself constantly searching them out.

As an apprentice, within this steep learning curve I found myself in, I made my fair share of mistakes - a valuable part of the learning process. Whenever I discovered an error was made, I was driven to identify the cause and to remedy it, a value I continue to reinforce to this day. I found these mistakes were opportunities to learn, to explore and to ultimately grow as a tradesmen.

Among my discoveries was the fact that building or renovating a house is not like a manufacturing line. Yes – there are general construction methods that ensure an efficient build, but every new project involves new challenges. I had an excellent mentor and foreman who taught me that a good builder is constantly looking ahead and solving challenges before they become problems.

During a time of recovery from back surgery, I put the final plans together for our family home. We spent countless hours dreaming up the design and agonizing over what felt like trivial decisions. The investment was worth it. I reflected on some of the beautiful homes I’d worked on over the years and drew inspiration from their designs. It was only fitting that we built a Double Bay Villa, a blend of classical elements with modern design.

What started as an opportunity, became a legacy for my family.

For me, there’s nothing more worthwhile than to build.