I designed my first building in 1993. It was a shed. I worked on the construction of the building during my university holidays which has served as a valuable insight into the buiding process.
It also set my process whereby I maintain a hands on approach to my projects where possible. Whether it be simply visiting a site regularly or as in the case of "el toro", where I built the enitre house from ground up.
Having a thorough understanding of the reality of construction has served me well.
I can design from a very practicle vantage when necessary or I can choose to be experimental with a solid understanding of the fundamentals.