Folder Structure

A visual guide to where everything lives in the LowDO repository.

The Complete Structure

lowdo-dot-net/
├── entries/           ← YOU EDIT HERE (all content)
│   ├── projects/      ← Design projects (get own pages)
│   └── other/         ← All other entries (index only)
├── _data/
│   └── settings.yaml  ← YOU EDIT HERE (site customization)
├── admin/             ← Password-protected admin panel (/admin/)
├── docs/              ← YOU ARE HERE (this documentation)
├── _includes/         ← DON'T EDIT (HTML templates)
├── assets/            ← DON'T EDIT (site resources)
├── _site/             ← DON'T EDIT (auto-generated HTML)
├── CLAUDE.md          ← Technical documentation
├── package.json       ← DON'T EDIT (dependencies)
├── .eleventy.js       ← DON'T EDIT (build config)
└── netlify.toml       ← DON'T EDIT (hosting config)

Safe to Edit vs. Don't Touch

✅ Safe to Edit

These folders/files are designed for content creators:

Path	What It Is	When to Edit
`entries/`	All content folders	Adding/editing projects, news, awards, etc.
`_data/settings.yaml`	Site configuration	Changing colors, site title, contact info
`docs/`	This documentation	Adding/updating guides

⚠️ Advanced (Ask for Help)

These require coding knowledge:

Path	What It Is	Caution
`_includes/`	HTML templates	Changes affect site-wide layout
`assets/`	CSS, JavaScript, fonts	Changes affect site-wide styling
`.eleventy.js`	Build configuration	Changes affect how site is built

❌ Never Touch

These are auto-generated:

Path	What It Is	Why Not to Touch
`_site/`	Generated HTML	Gets deleted and rebuilt on every build
`node_modules/`	Dependencies	Auto-installed from package.json

The `entries/` Folder (Where Content Lives)

This is where you'll spend most of your time:

entries/
├── projects/                        ← Design projects (get own pages)
│   ├── casa-marianella/
│   │   ├── casa-marianella.md       ← Content file
│   │   ├── header.jpg               ← Thumbnail image
│   │   ├── 01-exterior.jpg          ← Gallery image
│   │   └── 02-interior.jpg          ← Gallery image
│   └── wolf-creek-ranch/
│       ├── wolf-creek-ranch.md
│       ├── header.jpg
│       └── 01-wide-view.jpg
└── other/                           ← All non-project entries (index only)
    ├── emerging-voices-award/
    │   ├── emerging-voices-award.md ← type: award
    │   └── thumb.jpg
    ├── austin-chronicle-feature/
    │   └── austin-chronicle-feature.md  ← type: feature
    └── ut-lecture-2024/
        └── ut-lecture-2024.md       ← type: lecture

Entry Type Field

Every entry's type (project, award, feature, lecture, etc.) is set by a type: field in its frontmatter — not by its folder. The folder only controls whether the entry gets its own page:

entries/projects/ → gets a detail page at /project/{slug}/
entries/other/ → index only, no detail page

---
type: award        ← Sets the type label shown in the index filter
draft: false
title: "Emerging Voices Award"
---

Key Pattern

Every entry follows this structure:

entries/{projects-or-other}/{entry-name}/
├── {entry-name}.md     ← Markdown file (same name as folder)
└── image.jpg           ← Optional image(s)

Important: The folder name and the .md filename must match!

✅ Good:

casa-marianella/
└── casa-marianella.md

❌ Bad:

casa-marianella/
└── project.md           (wrong name)

Entry Folders

`entries/projects/` (Get Own Pages)

Projects get individual detail pages at /project/{name}/:

projects/casa-marianella/
├── casa-marianella.md       ← Required: content (must include type: project)
├── header.jpg               ← Recommended: main thumbnail
├── 01-exterior-view.jpg     ← Optional: gallery image
├── 02-interior-space.jpg    ← Optional: gallery image
└── 03-detail-shot.jpg       ← Optional: gallery image

All images in the folder (except header.*/thumb.*) are auto-added to the gallery.

`entries/other/` (Index Only)

All non-project entries live here — news, awards, features, lectures, exhibitions, staff updates. They appear in the comprehensive index but don't get their own pages. The type: frontmatter field controls the label shown in the index and filters.

other/emerging-voices-award/
├── emerging-voices-award.md    ← Required (includes type: award)
└── thumb.jpg                   ← Optional: thumbnail for index

Supported types: news, award, feature, lecture, exhibition, staff — or any custom type you create.

The `_data/` Folder (Site Settings)

Contains configuration files:

_data/
└── settings.yaml    ← Site-wide settings

What's in settings.yaml?

# Site metadata
title: "LowDO"
description: "Low Design Office - Architecture and Design Studio"
email: "lowdo@lowdo.net"

# Theme colors
colors:
  background: "#ffffff"
  text: "#000000"
  accent: "#0000ff"

# Typography
fonts:
  body: "Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"
  heading: "Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"

# And more...

See Settings Reference for details.

The `docs/` Folder (This Documentation)

You're here! This folder contains all user-friendly guides:

docs/
├── README.md                      ← Table of contents
├── 00-start-here.md              ← Quick orientation
├── 01-understanding-the-site/    ← How it works
├── 02-adding-content/            ← Content creation guides
├── 03-editing-content/           ← Editing guides
├── 04-customizing-the-site/      ← Customization guides
├── 05-tools-and-workflow/        ← Git, VS Code, etc.
├── 06-troubleshooting/           ← Common problems
└── 07-reference/                 ← Quick references

The `_includes/` Folder (Templates)

⚠️ Advanced users only

Contains HTML templates and components:

_includes/
├── layouts/              ← Page layouts (base, project, etc.)
├── components/           ← Reusable components (header, footer, etc.)
└── assets/
    ├── css/             ← Stylesheets
    └── js/              ← JavaScript

When to edit:

Simple CSS tweaks (colors, spacing) - See Editing CSS Basics
Complex changes - Ask for help

The `_site/` Folder (Auto-Generated)

❌ Never edit

This folder contains the generated HTML that gets published. It's completely auto-generated and gets deleted/rebuilt on every build.

_site/
├── index.html              ← Generated homepage
├── all/
│   └── index.html          ← Generated comprehensive index
├── project/
│   ├── casa-marianella/
│   │   └── index.html      ← Generated project page
│   └── wolf-creek-ranch/
│       └── index.html
└── assets/                 ← Optimized images, CSS, JS

Why you see it: Git ignores this folder, but it exists locally after running npm run build or npm run serve.

Example: Where Does a Project Live?

Let's trace a real example: the "Casa Marianella" project.

Source Files (What You Create)

entries/projects/casa-marianella/
├── casa-marianella.md       ← You create this
│   ---
│   title: "Casa Marianella"
│   date: 2023-06-15
│   categories:
│     - HOUSING
│     - COMMUNITY
│   ---
│   Project description here...
│
├── header.jpg               ← You add this
├── 01-exterior.jpg          ← You add this
└── 02-interior.jpg          ← You add this

Generated Pages (What the System Creates)

_site/project/casa-marianella/
└── index.html               ← Auto-generated detail page

_site/all/
└── index.html               ← Auto-generated index (includes this project)

Live URLs (What Visitors See)

Project page: https://lowdo.netlify.app/project/casa-marianella/
Index listing: https://lowdo.netlify.app/all/

Where to Put Things: Quick Reference

What You're Adding	Where It Goes	Type field
Design project	`entries/projects/{name}/`	`type: project`
News item	`entries/other/{name}/`	`type: news`
Award	`entries/other/{name}/`	`type: award`
Press feature	`entries/other/{name}/`	`type: feature`
Lecture	`entries/other/{name}/`	`type: lecture`
Exhibition	`entries/other/{name}/`	`type: exhibition`
Staff update	`entries/other/{name}/`	`type: staff`
Site colors	`_data/settings.yaml`	—
Site title/info	`_data/settings.yaml`	—

File Naming Rules

Folders:

Use lowercase letters
Use hyphens instead of spaces
Be descriptive but concise

✅ Good: casa-marianella, emerging-voices-award, austin-monthly-feature ❌ Bad: Casa Marianella, project1, new_award

Markdown files:

Must match the folder name
Add .md extension

✅ Good: casa-marianella/casa-marianella.md ❌ Bad: casa-marianella/project.md

Images:

Use descriptive names
Use lowercase and hyphens
Special names: header.jpg, thumb.jpg (used as thumbnails)

✅ Good: header.jpg, 01-exterior-view.jpg, detail-closeup.jpg ❌ Bad: IMG_1234.jpg, photo (1).jpg, FINAL.jpg

See File Naming Conventions for complete rules.

Hidden Files (Dot Files)

Some files start with a dot (.). These are usually configuration:

.eleventy.js       ← Build configuration
.gitignore         ← Files git should ignore
.eleventyignore    ← Files Eleventy should ignore

You generally don't need to edit these unless you're doing advanced setup.

Next Steps

Now that you understand where files live:

How to Add a Project - Create your first entry
Comprehensive Index Guide - Understand the index page
Settings Reference - Customize the site

Questions?

"Where do I add a new project?" - entries/projects/{project-name}/
"Where do images go?" - In the same folder as the .md file
"Can I create subfolders in entries?" - No, keep it flat: entries/projects/{name}/
"What if I put files in the wrong place?" - Move them to the right folder and rebuild

See FAQ for more questions.