Ugly ducklings and cranes

We are entering the ugly duckling phase of the project. The bare clay blocks and gaping holes that will be the windows, are remarkably ugly, and it will be some time before the timber cladding and insulation finish the job off as The Architect intended.

The masonry is coming to completion and we have entered into a negociation with the roofing contractor over the nature of the roof structure. The original design consisted of three main rafters in steel and a secondary structure of purlins in either timber or steel 'Z' sections. The steel seems to be problematic because of the weight and the necessity of involving a crane. The roofer has suggested a timber solution for the main rafters using a product that consists of a vertical laminated beam 'Kerto'.

The beam would be much lighter than the steel solution but deeper by a factor of 1.7. Being the amenable guy that he is, The Architect is redrawing all the sections and details to take into account the new rafter depth.

In the meantime, thanks to the input from The English Neighbour, we are being kept up to date on local popular opinion. There is nothing like a building site for livening up the evening stroll with dog and significant other. Various comments are overheard, the most common concerning the diminutive size of the windows that give onto the street. The Client is now worried that it will be dark and dingy inside, despite the large openings at the rear of the house. Who should she trust, Monsieur Dupont with his Rotveiler or a building professional with 25 years experience?