FIA Journal
Hello,
April feels like it's gone by in a blur — there's a lot on at the moment, and I suspect I'm not alone in that. This month's reflection is something I've been thinking about a lot lately, partly as a reminder to myself as much as anything else.
I hope you find it useful.
Slowing Down Your Thinking
There's often an underlying pressure to move quickly in architecture. To get drawings out, resolve details, respond to comments, and keep everything progressing.
When there's a lot to do, my instinct is to move faster — to tick things off and stay on top of it all. But that's usually when I start to miss things.
This is something I have to remind myself of regularly. Slowing down isn't always easy when you're busy, but it's almost always where the better work happens.
When I take a bit more time to pause, check, and work through something properly, the outcome is almost always stronger for it.
“
When you take more time, the outcome is often more resolved...
Slowing down doesn’t mean working slowly. It means giving yourself enough space to:
- understand how something actually works
- question whether a solution makes sense
- think through how it will be built
- check that nothing has been missed
Over time, that way of working becomes more efficient anyway — because you’re not constantly going back to fix things later.
WHAT'S NEW AT FIRST IN ARCHITECTURE
Recent Articles
If you’re working on building confidence in your technical understanding, here’s what we’ve added recently:
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Building Regulations Notes for Extensions – What to Include (+ Template)
A practical guide to putting together Building Regulations notes for extension projects. This covers what to include, how to structure your notes, and how to make them clear and consistent — alongside a template to help you get started.
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Detail Clinic EP12 – Timber Frame Cold Roof Eaves
This episode looks at how a timber frame cold roof eaves detail works. The focus is on breaking the junction down step by step, helping you understand how each element contributes to the overall performance.
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Detail Clinic EP13 – Timber Frame Flat Roof
A follow-on session exploring a timber frame flat roof build-up. As with all Detail Clinic videos, the aim is to slow the process down and work through the detail clearly, rather than relying on assumptions.
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New Details
Latest addition to the Detail Library features a selection of protected stairways, separating fire junctions and loft upgrades details.
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SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
In Case It's Useful
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If you’re looking for support with technical work, our resources are designed to be worked through at your own pace — helping you build understanding step by step, rather than rushing through information.
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A Quiet Reminder
You just need to take enough time to understand what you're doing. That's what makes technical work reliable — not moving quickly, but thinking clearly.
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Thank you for being here and taking the time to read, we really appreciate your support. Wishing you a confident start to the month ahead.
All our best,
Emma & the First in Architecture team
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