The Early Years: A Foundation in Craft

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My journey began in 1980 at a joinery workshop in Northgate, Brisbane. As an apprentice, I was immersed in a world of high-end timber work, crafting bespoke furniture for churches and schools, and restoration components for vintage cars, coaches, and marine vessels. This era taught me the soul of materials—learning the beauty, versatility, and structural limits of timber.

I was there for the birth of modern construction. I saw the introduction of composites like chipboard and fiber cement, worked through the final days of asbestos, and was on-site when the very first cordless drills hit the market. From the frantic energy of the Brisbane Expo '88 site to years of specialized shipwrighting in Gladstone, I have spent over four decades learning exactly how things go together—and more importantly, why they sometimes don't.

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The Parallel Path: From Commodore 64 to Battlemage

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While I was mastering the chisel and hammer, I was also pioneering the digital frontier. I bought my first computer, a Commodore 64, while I was still an apprentice. I’ve understood the digital world from its infancy, with my first exposure to AutoCAD in the mid-80s on an IBM XT.

My digital tools have evolved alongside my trade tools:

• The Tools: From hand-saws and planes to CNC and high-end joinery.

• The OS: Navigating every milestone from Windows 2.0, 95, and XP to the Windows 11 environment I use today.

• The Tech: My coordination is now powered by Intel Arc™ B580 Battlemage architecture, providing the high-performance processing required for complex Tier 1 datasets.

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The Mission: A "Builder’s Eye" for a Digital World

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In 2026, the industry is at a crossroads. It is increasingly difficult to find experienced professionals who truly understand constructability. A model can look perfect on a screen, yet be impossible to build on the floor.

After 46 years, I am hanging up the nail bag to move "off the tools" and fully into the digital space. My mission with Dome Digital Design is to provide drafting and VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) services that are backed by a lifetime of site-based wisdom. I identify the clashes, the "impossible" fits, and the structural errors long before your team arrives on-site.

I solve the project in the digital world so you can build it seamlessly in the real one.

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