Stages
Eight stages, in order
The life of a building, from the first board to the fiftieth winter.
Most writing about building stops when the builders leave. We follow the whole sequence, because we keep what we build: what it is made of, how the parts are made and joined, how it is looked after, how it feels to live in and how long it lasts.
what is it made ofMaterials
What a building is made of, chosen for its whole life and for the place it has to stand in.
a kit of partsComponents
A building as a kit of parts, each with a name, a record and a way back out.
made under a roofFabrication
Where and how the parts are made, in a shop where accuracy is cheap or on a site where it is not.
one fastener at a timeAssembly
How parts are joined. Every fastener decides whether a part can ever be repaired, moved or used again.
ready on TuesdayInstallation
The job site itself. Sequence, tolerance and the conditions that let a crew do good work.
repair before replaceMaintenance
Looking after a building is part of building it. Repair comes before replacement.
seven on a January morningLivability
The test of a building is living in it. Quiet, light, warmth, clean air and ease, year after year.
long life, loose fitDurability
How long it lasts, how well it takes its next change, and whether its joints will still open when the time comes.