Hard Work Means Taking Ownership And Developing A Craft

I want hard work to mean owning the work we do and developing a craft. A paycheck matters, but I don’t see the work itself as something to get through just to get paid. At Den & Burrow, we’re trying to become masters at what we do. That takes deliberate study as well as work.

That’s why we’re studying the classical orders and trying to understand old and ancient methods of design and construction. There’s a lot within construction that I think has been forgotten while so much attention goes to modern materials. I don’t want us to overlook that knowledge.

Tuckpointing, masonry walls and facades are examples of what interests us. These are places to look closely at traditional methods and natural materials, and to understand how they belong together. We’re actively trying to bring those materials and methods back into the way we think about building.

For me, developing a craft means caring enough about the work to keep learning it. Taking ownership includes putting effort into understanding the methods we want to use. That study is part of the hard work, and it’s where I want us to put our attention as we work toward mastery.