Interiors are not a later problem
Most of what makes a room work was decided months earlier, while the walls were still open.
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Notes from the studio.
Writing on designing and building well in Nairobi, and on doing it for clients who are far from the site.
What shell complete actually means
A milestone that looks like a finished house from the road and is nowhere near one inside.
ReadDesign only, build only, or both: what you are actually buying
Three different appointments, three different sets of risk. Knowing which one you want changes the conversation.
ReadBuilding into a slope instead of on top of one
A sloping plot is usually sold as a problem. It is mostly a substructure decision made early.
ReadStone, and the difference the cut makes
Machine-cut, hand-dressed or rock-faced. The same quarry gives three very different buildings.
ReadThe hidden roof, and why clients keep asking for it
A pitched roof you cannot see. It is a clean line from the street and a harder detail on site.
ReadWhat the coast asks of a building that Nairobi does not
Salt, humidity and a very hard light. Coastal construction punishes the shortcuts that inland sites forgive.
ReadWhat to budget for, beyond the build cost
The contract sum is the number everyone watches. These are the ones that quietly decide whether a project finishes calmly.
ReadBuilding from abroad: what a month of progress looks like
Photographs flatter a building site. Knowing what a month should actually contain is what keeps a remote client in control.
ReadThe handover gap, and what it actually costs
Between the drawing and the wall there is a gap. Most of what goes wrong on a build happens inside it.
ReadChoosing materials that age well in Nairobi
A finish that looks good on handover day is easy. One that looks good in ten years is a different decision.
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