Scale Library
Notes on proportion, light and material.
What we check, measure and specify, filed by the scale at which the decision is made.
1:200
Envelope
Plans, orientation and light: decisions you make before choosing a single object.
27 August 2026 · 4 min
Light first: planning rooms near the equator
In Nairobi the sun climbs almost straight overhead. The light to plan around is the low morning and evening sun from the east and west.
13 August 2026 · 4 min
Reading a floor plan before you buy or rent
A plan tells you more than the number of bedrooms. Five things to look for before you visit.
1:20
Room
Proportion, clearances and ceilings: how a room is sized for the people in it.
1 October 2026 · 4 min
The clearances that make a room work
Most rooms that feel cramped are not too small. They are planned without the gaps people need to move, sit and pull out a chair.
24 September 2026 · 3 min
Lowering a ceiling on purpose
A high ceiling is not always generous. Dropping one plane by 150 mm can make a room feel sheltered and make a window read as a frame.
1:2
Material
Finishes and joinery: what a surface is made of, and how it meets the next one.
17 September 2026 · 4 min
Veneer or solid timber: what to specify for joinery
Good veneer is not a cheaper imitation of solid wood. For wardrobes, wall panels and kitchen fronts it is often the better material.
3 September 2026 · 5 min
Limewash, microcement and plaster: honest wall finishes
Mineral finishes give walls depth that paint can't. Each has a different temperament, and each needs the right wall underneath.
