as an architect, bigger wrote a complaint to the "irish independent", published on 2 march 1907, about plans for some cottages, in response to which the "independent" invited him to present his own plans. he drew these up and the "independent" then published as "labourers' cottages for ireland" . writer jonathan bell characterized these as the plans of an "eccentric antiquarian", as they deliberately excluded sinks from the design, bigger claiming that "washing up is usually done in a bucket".