I have a rather eclectic background, and carpentry isn't my first and only career, although in a way it has been a part of my life since childhood. I grew up and went to school in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and lived in a fixer-upper character home that was in a permanent state of renovation for twenty some years. I pulled a lot of nails as a kid, and somewhere, somehow, developed an aptitude for building things.

I really enjoyed my school days and after graduation I travelled extensively on and off for four years, making footprints in 27 countries on 5 continents. I finally settled in at the University of British Columbia, where I completed a BSc degree in plant biology, specialising in ethnopharmacology, or the study of traditional plant medicines.  From there, I got into tourism, initially working as a sea kayak guide on the West Coast, and later in the new territory of Nunavut as the eco- and adventure tourism coordinator. I met my wife Claire up there at a community square dance on Canada Day. Five years later we left the north to do a cycling trip from Vancouver to Alaska, before moving to Kingston, ON, where we both returned to school.

I studied in a carpentry program at St. Lawrence College as Claire finished her teaching certification at Queens University. We bought a house – a fixer-upper – and turned the basement into a suite which we rented to other students. I was honoured with the General Carpentry Award for Excellence at the end of my program, and a few months later offered a job with the college to work as a technician in the carpentry shop. For the next two years I worked there part-time, and also taught math to the first year apprentices. Outside of the college, I worked as a senior energy advisor doing home evaluations for the Energuide for Houses program – until that program was cancelled with a change in the federal government. 

I was very fortunate to meet Patrick Marcotte of Havencraft Natural Homes that same year. I had been fascinated by cob and strawbale building since first being introduced to it during my days in Vancouver, and he happened to be teaching the weekend strawbale building course I attended with a few friends. We kept in touch and I was invited to work with him the following summer, and in many ways, I lived the dream. I suppose the real dream is to build my own strawbale home someday, but building somebody else’s is the next best thing. I worked with Pat for almost two years as a lead carpenter on a number of different projects, and was introduced to timber framing, round log construction, insulated concrete forms (ICF), and a host of other building systems and ideas. It is also during this time that I was introduced and eventually became certified to install radiant floor and geothermal heating systems.

I was and continue to be inspired by Pat’s level of professionalism and attention to small details. I learned to appreciate the finer qualities of homebuilding – the craftsmanship of doing something truly unique and enduring. I imagine I’d still be working with Pat, except that Claire and I had a baby girl in August 2007, and subsequently moved back to Saskatchewan to be closer to family. I founded my own company - ecöhaus solutions – so that I could continue to work and learn within the green home building industry. I aspire to build a better home – one that incorporates the most intelligent designs, technologies and building systems to achieve a comfortable, healthier, and more energy efficient home for the owner.