What Three Years of Reusing Materials Taught Me
Somewhere between the courtyard and home, the notion finally made sense. Materials should age well rather than stay new. Small, repeatable steps beat big plans nearly every time. Good timber frames is for the most part a series of small, unglamorous decisions.
Second thoughts
This began as a quick note and gradually turned into something longer. I would rather do one thing with care than five things fast. The low-energy part is seldom the hard part; consistency is. We draw by hand early on; it keeps decisions loose. Nothing here requires a material samples, though it does make things easier.
The middle part
The light-filled part is seldom the hard part; consistency is. Daylight is the cheapest and most generous material we have. It is effortless to overthink working with light. It is harder to just start. I attempted the calm version first. It did not last.
Notes along the way
Somewhere between an old warehouse and home, the notion finally made sense. Small buildings demand the same care as large ones, sometimes more. Somewhere between a hillside plot and home, the notion finally made sense. Most problems with small houses turn out to be problems with time.
Looking back, the calm approach was the right call. Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. I wrote most of this on a still Monday morning. I keep a short list of things to try next; reusing materials is near the top. I keep a short list of things to try next; working with light is near the top.
I wrote most of this on a still Saturday morning. It is effortless to overthink drawing sections. It is harder to just start. There is no single right way to approach drawing sections, but some ways are kinder than others.
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