FIA Journal
New Year's Expectations
January often comes with a lot of quiet pressure.
In December, I usually spend time looking back at what we’ve achieved across both websites — the people we’ve helped, the content we’ve created, and the direction things seem to be heading. Alongside that comes planning: ideas for the year ahead, goals, improvements, things I want to do better or more consistently.
What I’ve learned over time is that this process can quickly tip from reflection into pressure. A sense that I should have everything worked out. That I should be starting the year with a clear, fixed plan — and if things drift, that somehow means I’ve failed.
If I were giving advice to my student self (or my younger professional self), it would be this: planning matters, but flexibility matters more.
Very little ever unfolds exactly as expected. Projects change. Priorities shift. New opportunities appear that weren’t on the plan at all. That isn’t a lack of discipline or commitment — it’s simply how real work (and real life) unfolds.
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Planning matters,
but flexibility matters more.
The most useful skill I’m developing isn’t sticking rigidly to a plan, but being able to adapt without being too hard on myself when things move in a different direction. Adjusting course doesn’t mean you’ve got it wrong. Often, it means you’re responding well to what’s actually in front of you.
In architecture, learning, and professional development, progress is rarely linear. Allowing space for that makes the process far more sustainable, more productive in the long run — and far more human.
With this in mind, we wish you a steady start to the year ahead.
A few small moments from December, away from the screen.
WHAT'S NEW AT FIRST IN ARCHITECTURE
Recent Articles
Some of the articles that we published during December.
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Detail Clinic Ep 05
Learn about how a window detail actually works and how all the layers go together.
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Detailing a Side Return Extension
This article explores side return extensions, and how to detail the junctions, structural glazing, boundaries and drainage.
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Detail Clinic Ep 06
Learn about how a door jamb is detailed. Looking at fixing straps, airtightness and packers and seals.
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New Details
Latest addition to the Detail Library features timber frame details for house extensions, including windows, doors, roofs and more.
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SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
In Case It's Useful
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Our House Extensions Book is now available in print.
It’s designed as a practical reference you can return to as needed — covering design thinking, technical considerations, and common issues across different types of extensions, without expecting you to know everything upfront.
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A Quiet Reminder
You’re allowed to plan. You’re also allowed to change that plan. Progress doesn’t disappear just because the route looks different to what you imagined in January.
Thank you for being here and taking the time to read, we really appreciate your support. Wishing you a calm and considered start to the year.
All our best,
Emma & the First in Architecture team
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