Carpentry: my invisible foundation
Yep, I spent ten years working in carpentry.
It isn’t the focus of this portfolio, but it’s the invisible foundation of how I think about structure, detail and making.
What ten years of carpentry taught me
Over a decade on building sites I developed a practical skill set that now underpins how I approach design and construction.
- translating technical drawings into built reality
- understanding structure, joints and tolerances in wood construction
- working precisely under time and budget constraints
- communicating clearly and collaborating with other trades on site
- solving practical problems when plans and reality don’t match
Selected carpentry projects
Historic timber-frame house restoration, Northern Germany, 2021
| type | restoration of listed timber-frame house | ||
| my role | lead carpenter | ||
| client | private owner, northern Germany | ||
| approach | replaced rotten parts with solid oak while preserving original structure | ||
| challenge | precisely fitting new parts and maintaining structural balance with walls opened | ||
| result | house stabilized and prepared to stand for another 100 years | ||
Dormer build / Conversion from Attic to Living Room, northern germany, 2022
| type | construction of a brand new dormer | ||
| my role | lead carpenter | ||
| client | private owner, northern Germany | ||
| approach | cutting a ‘hole’ in the existing roof and building a dormer | ||
| challenge | maintaining the statics while building | ||
| result | newly created living room with great views and lots of daylight | ||
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