About me…

I have wandered through the design, woodworking, and timber framing world for the past 30 years. Throughout my education and career I have had many roles – sculptor, studio assistant, furniture maker, timber framer, designer, marketer, and mover of heavy objects. 

I trained as a sculptor and designer at the Cleveland Institute of Art, participated in the New York Studio Program as an undergraduate, and returned to New York City to briefly study architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. I left graduate school to teach design at the Cleveland Institute of Art where my passion for woodworking was re-kindled.

While teaching design and managing a small woodworking shop I discovered a magical place called The Heartwood School where I studied with Will Beemer and fell in love with timber framing. From those summer classes at Heartwood I began my journey learning the craft of timber framing. I started my work experience by hand cutting frames in a small shop, then moved on to dismantling and repairing barns in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. My first solo timber frame was when I helped renovate my parent’s house. I slowly took on larger local projects and one day while I was buying reclaimed beams for one of my projects from Pioneer Millworks I somehow found myself in the interview room for an open position at New Energy Works. After some negotiating and haggling about moving and relocating to the Rochester area I began working in the New Energy Works production shop – cutting frames with a CNC machine, working on raising crews and learning project management. After gaining practical experience in the shop and field I moved into the design and engineering department, starting with learning HSB CAD and Hundegger software, then managing the small engineering and design team for timber frame production. Some life challenges collided with the intense production schedule and I found myself burned out and needing some soul seeking.

I started riding my bicycles again, getting both my body and mind fit, and I moved to Vermont to do some consulting, where I began my solo career working with individual timber framers, timber frame companies, engineers, architects and home owners.

On this journey I have enjoyed working in marketing, graphics, carpentry, woodworking, and as a studio assistant to artists. My passion is problem solving -this could be blending the sculptural elements of design with woodworking and heavy timber construction to create a unique structure, or perhaps it is helping clients refine and tell their stories, or it might be helping a small shop take take their relationships and design to the next level.

I am originally from the midwest but through my work I lived and worked in the northeast of the US before settling in Vermont where I met my wife and we started a family. We started planning a timber frame addition to our lovely little home in Burlington when my wife had the opportunity to accept a career changing position in Switzerland. We now live outside of Zürich and hope to make Switzerland our forever home.

Our family is learning German and working on integrating with our community, we play in the mountains whenever we can – hiking, skiing, paragliding, and just soaking up the magnificent world at our doorstep.

I maintain my relationships with my US friends and clients pushing pixels as an independent designer and consultant. My clients range from homeowners, small timber frame craftsmen, large timber frame shops, architects, engineers, and small businesses.

I work hard to build and maintain relationships through my work. What often starts as a ‘project’ can turn into a lifetime relationship as a client, colleague and friend. If you value relationships, attention to detail, and how all the pieces fit together – please read more about me, have a look at my services to see if I may be of help to you, your team, or your project, read about what clients and colleagues have to say about working with me, and feel free to reach out to contact me.