On Working with Light and Sketching on Site
Small buildings demand the same care as large ones, sometimes more. The low-energy part is seldom the hard part; consistency is. We draw by hand early on; it keeps decisions loose.
Before and after
A friend once described small houses as still work, and the phrase stuck. Nothing here requires a measuring tape, though it does make things easier. A threshold can change how an entire house feels. There is no single right way to approach renovating, but some ways are kinder than others.
Daylight is the cheapest and most generous material we have. Every summer I revisit the same questions about materials. Below are a few jottings, roughly in the order I worked out them. I keep a short list of things to try next; reusing materials is near the top.
A few details
Small, repeatable steps beat big plans nearly every time. There is no single right way to approach drawing sections, but some ways are kinder than others. You can get remarkably far with a tracing paper and some a steady hand.
Most problems with renovations turn out to be problems with time. Nothing here requires a site camera, though it does make things easier. I like renovations that shows the marks of how it was made.
Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. I shifted my mind about public spaces twice while writing this. I keep a short list of things to try next; renovating is near the top. You can get remarkably far with a measuring tape and some a steady hand. The first nine weeks were for the most part about unlearning.
I attempted the compact version first. It did not last. Between working with light and sketching on site, the second one taught me more. The first seven weeks were for the most part about unlearning.
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