Notes from the studio

Occasional writing on materials, process, and the projects we’re in the middle of.

Why we start every project with a feasibility study — Sienna journal

Process

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Why we start every project with a feasibility study

A short, paid piece of work before anyone commits — and why it saves money on almost every project.

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Designing for the light you actually have — Sienna journal

Notes

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Designing for the light you actually have

Orientation, glare and the low winter sun — why we spend the first design week just tracking how light moves through a site.

Why we still build in lime plaster — Sienna journal

Materials

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Why we still build in lime plaster

It moves with the building, it breathes, and it ages into something better than it started. A short defence of a slow material — and the three coats it actually takes.

Choosing stone: a short guide — Sienna journal

Materials

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Choosing stone: a short guide

Travertine, limestone, marble — where each one earns its place, how they wear, and what they cost to keep.

A courtyard is a room — Sienna journal

Landscape

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A courtyard is a room

Treating outdoor space with the same rigour as indoor — proportion, threshold, and what you see from the sofa.

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