Building Bridges

My friends think that I drive my children too hard and force them to do too many chores. I do not agree. Chores are those tasks that you instruct someone to do while you stand and look, it is not a chore if you do the work with them.
I see physical labour as a way of bonding with my family.

Sean testing the ramp as Felicia looks on

the landing is formed by stacking 5x5 " belian posts - the ramp is simply held on place by its weight

we try to use as many of the things we have around the house as possible, or bought cheaply from the hardware store

That is what Sean and I were doing last week - building a bridge between father and son, between the garden and the pavillion. He is a good work partner. Usually I start first, by going into the garden and preparing the materials and he quietly joins me a few minutes later and stays until we are done for the afternoon.

Timber 'Blinds"

If I were a bread maker, I would want to make it from scratch and not resort to easier shortcuts. Likewise, in the building of the pavilion - it would have been ideal if I had been able to build the entire structure myself. That would have meant taking months off from work, which we can ill-afford. So, my understanding contractors have resisted completing the project and retained some work for me to complete. There remains openings to be closed, the entrance ramp to be built and windows for the bathroom and that is only for the building's exterior. Internally, there are shelves, light pelmets, wash basin counter, the list seems end-less.

But first things first, the exterior shell has to be completed. Initial ideas included the construction of a shiplapped weatherboard panels but these are not open-able. Then I thought of making the ship-lapped pieces open like awning windows which would work.
I eventually settled on making these shutters (or more correctly blinds as Tao puts it) vertical as the adjustable glass louvres are installed similarly. The timber was bought earlier from a contractor when he dismantled some government quarters; they were good hardwood, split in some parts and painted in gaudy colours but dry as evidenced by the 'ringing' when sawn.
These took me a few weekends to complete and I have yet to seal them before installing them; the workmanship is dubious but the client is quite understanding, as I told Kok Ming who gave me an idea of connecting the blinds together to open and shut in concert.

trimming and sanding to remove years of over-painting

The 'box-frame' will fit within the brick wall openings, the 'blinds' are de-mountable.

thumbnail sketches of the pavillion