Poor budgets do not equal poor design; they can be a creative opportunity rather than a constraint. The case studies illustrated in this chapter show how practical and cost-effective strategies achieve maximum impact with least funds. They rely on working with available resources, whether creating multiple uses for a single space and furniture or rethinking processes and priorities. Many institutions assume they cannot achieve much on a small budget. A little abstract thinking and an appeal to the senses have yielded effective transformations for many organizations. One such example is Watson's Bay Library (Australia), where a heritage-listed building housing a public toilet/shower room was converted to a boutique 70 m~2 living-room library. The same organization extended the life of another heritage building as a temporary location for the Double Bay Library, and refurbished it to address some urgently needed maintenance, while construction of new premises was underway. Other projects reflect on aspects of the key concepts to consider. Brother Liguori Resources Centre at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill (Australia), explores the idea of identifying what you have, whilst a clear vision assisted Randwick and Katoomba Libraries, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, to prioritize and maximize the impact of their funding.
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