Much of the beauty of many pre-modern ceramics is derived from the character of the materials that are used; impurities were not removed, and firings were not easily regulated.  Many modern potters have become accustomed to fully milled ingredients, and refined clay bodies, along with specialized equipment such as motorized

wheels, slab rollers, pug mills and computer-regulated kilns.  Works produced using these assists are not poorly crafted, but there is considerable reliance on the technology.  My earlier work relied on trying to control the materials. Now, by contrast, I rely on my intuition and I work with the impurities of the materials.  Robert Compton, a respected Vermont potter, teacher and writer, described this approach:

There is a 16th century Japanese term, Wabi-Sabi, that is coming into our culture.  The translation is: Wabi (things that are humble) and Sabi (things which gain beauty from age). It is a way to see “the beauty in things as they are” imperfections and all.  However, it does not mean accepting poor workmanship. Seeing a pot is seeing a moment in a potter’s life.  The potter may make the same shape year after year, but it will not be the same, it will always be changing.  Pots have much to say “if” you learn how to listen.  Subtle details, that speak volumes about process are there, if you take the time to look….

Certainly, research is essential to planning, design and construction of an effective wood-fired kiln, but there is no set way of “how to” with kiln construction.  The right design is in many ways as much a personal creative search as the intended product, and it flows from the potter’s creative goals.  Just as glaze chemistry is one’s personal alchemy, kiln building has only one overriding goal – to produce fired pots in a way that is in harmony with the materials and methods used.