Repair Culture
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When buildings, tools, and objects are designed to be replaced rather than repaired, every breakdown generates waste, every failure requires a specialist, and the community loses the skills and self-reliance that come from fixing things.
Evidence and Discussion
The "right to repair" movement has made this visible in electronics, but the principle is older and deeper in building. Traditional construction — timber frame, masonry, plaster — was designed to be repaired by its occupants. Modern construction — sealed systems, proprietary fasteners, glued assemblies — requires specialists and often makes repair more expensive than replacement.
Therefore
choose construction systems, materials, and products that can be repaired by the building's occupants using common tools. Prefer screws over glue. Prefer accessible connections over sealed assemblies. Prefer standard dimensions over proprietary systems. Provide a building manual — a simple document showing where things are, how they connect, and how to maintain them — with every new building.