Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, David Farrell’s career in the building industry happened by a twist of fate. As the story goes, a neighbor who spotted him tinkering in the garage introduced Farrell to a friend who invited him to build homes in Malibu, where he learned the building trade from the ground up.
Having studied architecture in high school and college, Farrell developed a clear understanding of how a home should be constructed to become a living, functioning environment. “It’s been a long journey,” Farrell says, remembering his first job as a framer before branching out into project management and community development. “I’ve done a lot of things both inside and outside of the building industry, but I’m a builder to my core.”
One such development — Storke Ranch in western Goleta — brought Farrell aboard as a project manager. Commuting from the Ventura home he shares with his wife of more than 35 years, he spent his workweek in Santa Barbara, where he crossed paths with local builders, including Giffin & Crane.