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the_timeless_way_of_building [2007-07-11 13:41] – external edit 127.0.0.1the_timeless_way_of_building [2023-11-06 17:29] (current) – [The breakdown of language] 2600:1700:8ec2:111f:c8df:f95f:4ba0:1656
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- +===== The Timeless Way of Building — Christopher Alexander=====
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-==== The Timeless way of building ==== +
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 by Christopher Alexander 1979 ISBN 0-19-502248-3 by Christopher Alexander 1979 ISBN 0-19-502248-3
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 [[Reading Notes]]  via  [[Cocky Eek]]  (still needs some formatting..) [[Reading Notes]]  via  [[Cocky Eek]]  (still needs some formatting..)
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- +==== a summary  ====
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-a summary : +
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 There is a timeless way of building , it's a process through which the order of a building or a town grows out directly from the inner nature of the people, and the animals, and plants, and matter which are in it.  Without the help of architects or planners , if you are working in the timeless way's town will grow under your hands, as steady as the flowers in your garden. When we have seen deep into the process to make a building or a town alive, it turns out that this knowledge brings us back to that part of ourselves which is forgotten. There is a timeless way of building , it's a process through which the order of a building or a town grows out directly from the inner nature of the people, and the animals, and plants, and matter which are in it.  Without the help of architects or planners , if you are working in the timeless way's town will grow under your hands, as steady as the flowers in your garden. When we have seen deep into the process to make a building or a town alive, it turns out that this knowledge brings us back to that part of ourselves which is forgotten.
  
  
 +==== The Quality ====
  
  
 +There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit in a man, a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named.
  
-The Quality+The quality of places is never twice the same,  because it always takes its shape from the particular  place in which it occurs.  It is not simple beauty of form and color. Man can make that without making nature. It is not only fitness to purpose. Man can make that too, without making nature. And it is not only the spiritual quality of beautiful  music or a quiet mosque, that comes from faith. Man can make that too, without making nature. The quality which has no name  includes  these simpler sweeter qualities. But it is so ordinary as well, that it somehow reminds of the passing of our life. It is a slightly bitter quality.
  
  
  
-There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit in a man, a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named. 
  
-The quality of places is never twice the same,  because it always takes its shape from the particular  place in which it occurs.  It is not simple beauty of form and color. Man can make that without making nature. Is is not only fitness to purpose. Man can make that too, without making nature. And it is not only the spiritual quality of beautifull  music or a quiet mosque, that comes from faith. Man can make that too, without making nature. The quality which has no name  includes  these simpler sweeter qualities. But it is so ordinary as well, that it somehow reminds of of the passing of our life. It is a slightlly bitter quality. 
  
 +==== Being alive ====
  
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-Being alive 
  
  
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-Patterns of events+==== Patterns of events ==== 
  
  
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-Patterns of space+==== Patterns of space ====
  
  
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 Isn't it true that the features which you remember in a place are not so much pecularities, but rather the typical, the recurrent, the characteristic features; the canals of venice, the flat roofs of a Maroccan town, the event spacing of the fruit trees in an orchard, the slope of a beach towards the sea, the umbrellas of an Italian beach, the wide sidewalks, sidewalkscafes,  cylindrical poster boardings and pissoirs of Paris. The qualities which make Paris a special place, which make Broadway and Isn't it true that the features which you remember in a place are not so much pecularities, but rather the typical, the recurrent, the characteristic features; the canals of venice, the flat roofs of a Maroccan town, the event spacing of the fruit trees in an orchard, the slope of a beach towards the sea, the umbrellas of an Italian beach, the wide sidewalks, sidewalkscafes,  cylindrical poster boardings and pissoirs of Paris. The qualities which make Paris a special place, which make Broadway and
  
-  exicting, the qualities which make Venice special, the qualities which make an eighteencentury London Square to peaceful and refreshing- the qualities in any environment which give it the character you like it for- are its patterns.+exicting, the qualities which make Venice special, the qualities which make an eighteenth century London Square to peaceful and refreshing- the qualities in any environment which give it the character you like it for- are its patterns.
  
 A barn gets its structure from its patterns. A barn gets its structure from its patterns.
  
-Is has a cetrain overall shape, roughlly a long rectangle; there is a central position where the hay is stored, with aisles along the sides wher the cows stand; there is a row of columns between the centre and the aisle; along these colums are the feeding through where the cows feed; there are great doors or double doors at one end; perhaps smaller doors at the other end, in the aisle, for cattle to pass in and out"+Is has a certain overall shape, roughly a long rectangle; there is a central position where the hay is stored, with aisles along the sides wher the cows stand; there is a row of columns between the centre and the aisle; along these colums are the feeding through where the cows feed; there are great doors or double doors at one end; perhaps smaller doors at the other end, in the aisle, for cattle to pass in and out"
  
 The number of  patterns out of which a building or a town is made is rather small.  A buiding is defined, in its essentials , by a few dozen patterns. An a vast town like London by a few hundred patterns at the most. The number of  patterns out of which a building or a town is made is rather small.  A buiding is defined, in its essentials , by a few dozen patterns. An a vast town like London by a few hundred patterns at the most.
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-The patterns which are alive+==== The patterns which are alive ==== 
  
  
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-The multilicity of living patterns+==== The multilicity of living patterns ==== 
  
  
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- +==== The quality itself ====
-The quality itself+
  
  
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 The idea that a building can-and ought- to be made of modular units is one of the most pervasive assumptions of twentieth-century architecture. Nature is never modular. Nature is full of almost similar  units (waves, raindrops, blades of grass- but though the units of one kind are all alike in their broad structure, no two are ever alike in detail. The idea that a building can-and ought- to be made of modular units is one of the most pervasive assumptions of twentieth-century architecture. Nature is never modular. Nature is full of almost similar  units (waves, raindrops, blades of grass- but though the units of one kind are all alike in their broad structure, no two are ever alike in detail.
  
-1. the same broad features keep recurring over and over again.+1. the same broad features keep recurring over and over again.
  
 2. in their detail appearance these broad features are never twice the same. 2. in their detail appearance these broad features are never twice the same.
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 The repetition of patterns is quite a different thing from the repetition of parts. When two physical windows are identical the relationship which they have to their surroundings are different, because their surroundings are different. But when the relationships of their surroundings-their patterns- are the same, the windows themselves will all be different, because the sameness of the patterns, interacting with the difference of the contexts, makes the windows different. The repetition of patterns is quite a different thing from the repetition of parts. When two physical windows are identical the relationship which they have to their surroundings are different, because their surroundings are different. But when the relationships of their surroundings-their patterns- are the same, the windows themselves will all be different, because the sameness of the patterns, interacting with the difference of the contexts, makes the windows different.
  
-In a place which is alive, the right angles are rarely exact; the spacing of parts is hardly ever perfectly even. One column is a little thicker than another, one angle is a little larger than a right angle, one doorway is just a little smaller  then next, each roof line departs just an inch or two from the horizontal. They follow from the process which allows each part to be fitted carefully to its position. A building in which angles are all perfectly right angles, in ehich all eindows are exactly the dame size, andf in which all  columns are perfectly vertical, and all floors perfectlly horizontal, can only reach its false perfection by ignouring its surrounding utterlly.+In a place which is alive, the right angles are rarely exact; the spacing of parts is hardly ever perfectly even. One column is a little thicker than another, one angle is a little larger than a right angle, one doorway is just a little smaller  then next, each roof line departs just an inch or two from the horizontal. They follow from the process which allows each part to be fitted carefully to its position. A building in which angles are all perfectly right angles, in which all windows are exactly the dame size, andf in which all  columns are perfectly vertical, and all floors perfectlly horizontal, can only reach its false perfection by ignouring its surrounding utterlly.
  
-The cahracter of nature is fluid, rough, irregular, but it will not be true, unless it is made in the knowledge that it is going to die.+The character of nature is fluid, rough, irregular, but it will not be true, unless it is made in the knowledge that it is going to die.
  
 No matter how much the person who makes a building is able to understand the rhythm of regularity, it will mean noting so long as he creates it with the idea that it must be preserved because it is so precious. If you want to preserve a building, you will try to make it in materials which last forever. You will try to make sure that this creation can be preserved intact, in just its present state, forever. Canvas must be ruled out because it has to be replaced; tiles must be so hard that they will not crack, and set in concrete, so that they cannot move, and so the weed will not grow up to split the paving; trees must be nice to look at, but not bear fruit, becauses the dropped fruit might offend someone. No matter how much the person who makes a building is able to understand the rhythm of regularity, it will mean noting so long as he creates it with the idea that it must be preserved because it is so precious. If you want to preserve a building, you will try to make it in materials which last forever. You will try to make sure that this creation can be preserved intact, in just its present state, forever. Canvas must be ruled out because it has to be replaced; tiles must be so hard that they will not crack, and set in concrete, so that they cannot move, and so the weed will not grow up to split the paving; trees must be nice to look at, but not bear fruit, becauses the dropped fruit might offend someone.
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 +==== The gate====
  
-The gate  
  
  
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-The breakdown of language+==== The breakdown of language ====
  
  
  
-But in our time the langauges have broken down. Since they are no longer shared, the processes which keep them deep have broken down; and it is therefore virtually impossible for anybody, in our time, to make a building alive.+But in our time the languages have broken down. Since they are no longer shared, the processes which keep them deep have broken down; and it is therefore virtually impossible for anybody, in our time, to make a building alive.
  
-In the PL every facet of human experience was covered, in one way or another, by the patterns in the language.  The stages of ages of man are all covered, and the variety of all possible acts is covered. The entire culture, and the environment which suppports it, form a single unbroken fabric. But by contrast in the early phases of industrial society which we have experienced recently, the pattern language die.+In the PL every facet of human experience was covered, in one way or another, by the patterns in the language.  The stages of ages of man are all covered, and the variety of all possible acts is covered. The entire culture, and the environment which supports it, form a single unbroken fabric. But by contrast in the early phases of industrial society which we have experienced recently, the pattern language die.
  
-All the experts as raodplanners and architects and planners do have PL's but they guard their language jealously to make themselves indispensable.  Architects guard their recipes, so that they can maintain a unique style to sell. Once people withdraw from the normal everyday experience of building, and loose their pattern languages, they are liturally no longer able to make good decisions about their surroundings, because they no longer know what really matters. And what doesn't. Specific patterns like for instance; THE LIGHT ON TWO SIDES pattern, vanish from peoples knowledge about building.  At one time it was unthinkable to build any room, execpt a stable or a workshed, without windows on two side. Now most rooms have light from one side only. As soon as people start to build for "the many', their patterns about what is needed become abstract, theire ideas gradually get out of touch with reallity, because they are ot faced daily with the lliving examples of the paterns say. It is impossible , utterly impossible, to make a building or a town which is alive by control from above. And it is impossible to make the town for themselves with the ashes of the dead language which they now have.+All the experts as road planners and architects and planners do have PL's but they guard their language jealously to make themselves indispensable.  Architects guard their recipes, so that they can maintain a unique style to sell. Once people withdraw from the normal everyday experience of building, and lose their pattern languages, they are literally no longer able to make good decisions about their surroundings, because they no longer know what really matters. And what doesn't. Specific patterns like for instance; THE LIGHT ON TWO SIDES pattern, vanish from peoples knowledge about building.  At one time it was unthinkable to build any room, except a stable or a work shed, without windows on two side. Now most rooms have light from one side only. As soon as people start to build for "the many', their patterns about what is needed become abstract, their ideas gradually get out of touch with reality, because they are not faced daily with the living examples of the patterns say. It is impossible, utterly impossible, to make a building or a town which is alive by control from above. And it is impossible to make the town for themselves with the ashes of the dead language which they now have.
  
  
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 Each pattern is  a three part rule, which expresses a relation between a certain context, a problem, and a solution. It is both a process and a thing; both a description of a thing which is alive, and a description of the process which will generate that thing. Each pattern is  a three part rule, which expresses a relation between a certain context, a problem, and a solution. It is both a process and a thing; both a description of a thing which is alive, and a description of the process which will generate that thing.
  
-Patterns do excist at all scale; for instances;+Patterns do exist at all scale; for instances;
  
-ENTRANCE  TRANSITION resolves a confllict  among inner psychic forces.+ENTRANCE TRANSITION resolves a conflict among inner psychic forces.
  
 MOSAIC OF SUBCULTURES resolves a conflict among social and psychological forces MOSAIC OF SUBCULTURES resolves a conflict among social and psychological forces
  
-WEB OF SHOPPING relsolves a conflict among econonic forces.+WEB OF SHOPPING resolves a conflict among economic forces.
  
-Suppose we are in a place. And we have a general sense that something is 'right'there, something feels good; and we want to identify this  "something' concretely so that we can share it with someone else, and use it over and over again. There are three essential things we must identify.+Suppose we are in a place. And we have a general sense that something is "right there", something feels good; and we want to identify this "something" concretely so that we can share it with someone else, and use it over and over again. There are three essential things we must identify.
  
-What, exactly is his something+What, exactly is this something
  
 Why, exactly, is this something helping to make the place alive Why, exactly, is this something helping to make the place alive
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 And When, or Where, exactly, will this pattern work And When, or Where, exactly, will this pattern work
  
-You first have to define some physical feature of the plale, which seems worth abstracting+You first have to define some physical feature of the place, which seems worth abstracting
  
-Next , you must define the problem, or the field of forces which this patterns brings into balance. Finally, we must define the range of contexts where this system of forces exists and where this pattern of physical relationships will indeed actually bring it into balance.+Next, you must define the problem, or the field of forces which this patterns brings into balance. Finally, we must define the range of contexts where this system of forces exists and where this pattern of physical relationships will indeed actually bring it into balance.
  
-We see in summary, that very pattern we  define must be formulated in the form of a rule which establishes a relationship beteeen a context, a system of forces which arises in that context, and a configuration (onderlinge verhoudingen) which allows these forces to resolve themselves in that context. It has the following generic form:+We see in summary, that very pattern we  define must be formulated in the form of a rule which establishes a relationship between a context, a system of forces which arises in that context, and a configuration (onderlinge verhoudingen) which allows these forces to resolve themselves in that context. It has the following generic form:
  
  
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-The statement that the pattern is alive, is not a matter of taste, or culture, or point of view. It establishes, instead, a definite empirical  relationship between  a limited context, a set of forces which occurs there, and the patttern which resolves those forces.+The statement that the pattern is alive, is not a matter of taste, or culture, or point of view. It establishes, instead, a definite empirical  relationship between  a limited context, a set of forces which occurs there, and the pattern which resolves those forces.
  
 The statement of the problem and the forces helps us to sharpen the pattern which is responsible for making the system of forces come to equilibrium. The statement of the problem and the forces helps us to sharpen the pattern which is responsible for making the system of forces come to equilibrium.
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-Each pattern should be a source of life, a geneative,  selfsustaining pattern,  and be worth copying. by defining patterns we must rely more on our feelings than intellect. The pattern ALCOVE feels good to us, because we feel the wholeness of the system here. And MOSAIC OF SUBCULTURES makes us feel good, because, again , we feel the wholeness of the system there. By contrast, patterns made from thought, without feeling, lack empirical reality entirely. Some designs from architects may exite our intellect,  or our imagination; but when we ask ourselves how we shall feel in a place which is really built like this we know that it will not make us feel wonderful.+Each pattern should be a source of life, a geneative,  selfsustaining pattern,  and be worth copying. by defining patterns we must rely more on our feelings than intellect. The pattern ALCOVE feels good to us, because we feel the wholeness of the system here. And MOSAIC OF SUBCULTURES makes us feel good, because, again , we feel the wholeness of the system there. By contrast, patterns made from thought, without feeling, lack empirical reality entirely. Some designs from architects may excite our intellect,  or our imagination; but when we ask ourselves how we shall feel in a place which is really built like this we know that it will not make us feel wonderful.
  
-It comes about because our feelings always deel with the totality of any system. If there are hidden forces, hidden conflicts, lurking in a pattern, we can fell them there. And when a pattern feels good to us, it is because it is a genuinely wolesome thing, and we know that there are no hidden forces lurking there.+It comes about because our feelings always deel with the totality of any system. If there are hidden forces, hidden conflicts, lurking in a pattern, we can fell them there. And when a pattern feels good to us, it is because it is a genuinely wholesome thing, and we know that there are no hidden forces lurking there.
  
-When you see a pattern, you will be able to tell almost at once, by intuition, whether  it makes you feel good or not; whether,  you want to live in a world which has that patttern in it, because it helps you to feel more alive. Imagine someone who proposes that modular aluminium wall panels are of great imortance in the construction of houses. Simply ask him how he feels in rooms built out of them. He will be able to do dozens of critical experimetns which "prove' that they are better,  cleaner,  healthier"but the one thing he will not be able to do, if he is honest with himself, is to claim that the presence of modular panels is a distinguishing feature of the places in which he feels good. His actual feeling is direct, and unequivocal.+When you see a pattern, you will be able to tell almost at once, by intuition, whether  it makes you feel good or not; whether,  you want to live in a world which has that pattern in it, because it helps you to feel more alive. Imagine someone who proposes that modular aluminum wall panels are of great importance in the construction of houses. Simply ask him how he feels in rooms built out of them. He will be able to do dozens of critical experiments which "prove' that they are better,  cleaner, healthier but the one thing he will not be able to do, if he is honest with himself, is to claim that the presence of modular panels is a distinguishing feature of the places in which he feels good. His actual feeling is direct, and unequivocal.
  
 It is not the same as asking someone his opinion, someones taste or what a person thinks of an idea. In short, the scientific accuracy of the patterns can only come from direct assessment of people's feelings, not from arguments or discussions. It is not the same as asking someone his opinion, someones taste or what a person thinks of an idea. In short, the scientific accuracy of the patterns can only come from direct assessment of people's feelings, not from arguments or discussions.
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-The structue of a language+The structure of a language
  
-Each pattern itself is a part of some larger pattern-it is born out of these larger patterns through the forces which occur there, and the conditions which allow these fores to be in ahrmony. And each pattern itself gives birth to smaller patterns which, once again, through forces which must also be in harmony, gives birth to smaller patterns again created by the conditions which put the lower level forces into harmony.+Each pattern itself is a part of some larger pattern-it is born out of these larger patterns through the forces which occur there, and the conditions which allow these forces to be in harmony. And each pattern itself gives birth to smaller patterns which, once again, through forces which must also be in harmony, gives birth to smaller patterns again created by the conditions which put the lower level forces into harmony.
  
 So the real work of any process of design lies in this task of making up the language, from which you can later generate the one particular design. You must make the language first, because it is the structure and the content of the language which determine the design. The individual buildings which you make, will llive, or not. Acoording to the depth and wholeness of the language which you use to make them with. But of course, once you have it, this language is general. If it has the power to make a single building live, it can be used a thousand times, to make a thousand buildings live. So the real work of any process of design lies in this task of making up the language, from which you can later generate the one particular design. You must make the language first, because it is the structure and the content of the language which determine the design. The individual buildings which you make, will llive, or not. Acoording to the depth and wholeness of the language which you use to make them with. But of course, once you have it, this language is general. If it has the power to make a single building live, it can be used a thousand times, to make a thousand buildings live.
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- +Local Symmetries
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- Local Symmetries+
  
 Organic, small-scale symmetry works better than precise, overall symmetry. Organic, small-scale symmetry works better than precise, overall symmetry.
  
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