about

My name is Don Fini and I have been involved in the building industry for about 35 years. From 1982 to 2000 I worked at Fini Group as an estimator, construction manager, project manager and design/documentation manager.

In 1992 I received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Quantity Surveying and became a registered builder in 1997.

At Fini Group, I was involved in many different projects ranging from single residential homes, villas and townhouses, retirement villages and low and medium rise apartments to service stations, offices, warehouses, showrooms, and land subdivision.

From 2000 my partner (an architect) and I started designing and building one-off homes. Cost planning was an integral part of the design process.

In 2010, I became an accredited NatHERS assessor in FirstRate and in 2012 in AccuRate.

By applying thermal modelling during the design phase we could optimise the building’s thermal performance and examine the impact of our decisions on our cost plan.

As a consequence of this, I developed a strong interest in sustainability within the built form, especially the relationship between cost, thermal performance and environmental impact.

I am a member of the following associations:
Australian Institute of Architects (AIA)
Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS)
Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA)
Housing Industry Association (HIA)
Alternative Technology Association (ATA)
Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV)
Australian Passive House Association