Darcey’s love of building began at the age of five where under apprenticeship to his grandfather he would dutifully straighten nails and organize them by length into rusty coffee cans. This begat multi-story tree-houses made from slabs which later in life became custom stick-framed houses, monster homes in Vancouver and turn-key residential complexes and light commercial buildings in isolated northern Manitoba communities. As a Red River Metis, Darcey was invited to qualify for a scholarship and upon acceptance, began studies in civil and structural engineering technologies. The education led to new opportunities as a whole building estimator/designer for First Nation Communities, positions in process and quality control and computer programming.
In 2000, Darcey moved to California to work in the engineering department of a multi-national Engineered Forest Products (EWP) company where he became involved in designing with EWP, product development and research. During this time, he earned an engineering degree which led to roles in residential and commercial structural design encompassing hundreds of projects throughout the United States and Western Canada.
As the forest industry fell victim to the crash of 2009, he returned to Canada and started a new journey in architectural acoustics. The uniqueness and challenges of the industry have fascinated Darcey for years and he has been involved in many complex and large-scale projects throughout Canada. He has become known for his ability to design and construct elements to make the oddest designs come to life and also for his humble nature, as he will often show up on site with tools in hand to support the crews, and straighten out any bent nails.