A review of Alexanders book

https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/11/20686495/pattern-language-christopher-alexander

I realize I am not alone in my idol worship of Christopher Alexander…in how his so facile mind leaps from doorknobs to urban planning, the philosophy of each to a mathematical justification.  I just read

A review of Alexanders book

https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/11/20686495/pattern-language-christopher-alexander

then Pip Cheshire’s refernce to his 40 year old copy of Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language. That he respects more now, than he did 40 years ago… moving this tome to “it passed the test of time” one of the highest bars to jump over…

humans do not change, we are the same now as 2000 years ago, maybe taller, fatter, but, really the same.  We are born, have parents, grown, become parents, die… repeat…not that complicated…and our needs and wants have not changed either, again, not complicated.  Alexander dives down to these essential building blocks, in constructing his world…defining about 250 key unambiguous facts, and if obeyed, can construct the best chairs, rooms, houses, buildings, passages, roads, cities…see..it all scales up and down.. he calls these Patterns… an oblique term… but allowing his for etherial vernacular… his rules are more often correct, and the obcene way they are broken, reveals the idiocy some “famous architects” reveal how stupid they are.

Its not that I want to dive deep into the world of great design (but I do!) but, when designing my house, sometimes I get stuck… need a nudge to have deeper walls, force the second wall of light into a room, build from memories, have larger decks…eliminate the transition of outdoors and indoors.. with full flow between… that is the MAGIC, the WOW , a house can have.

Also, knowing if I break these rules…I will REGRET it…and I cannot bear to regret, what I worked so hard to achieve….that regret basket comes preloaded already with all my unknown unknowns… that only age, time and experience can diminish.   But I design, from where I am now… greatful for a little guideance, that I think I can trust….

https://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/opinion-in-consideration-of-users/i

https://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/opinion-in-consideration-of-users/

hero worship is a strange thing… you think you are the first to discover his/her greatness, and want to tell everyone of  your ‘discovery” .. then you find out, your hero is rectified back to ‘of course’ I know that guy… and the thrill of your discovery is a little bit less. 

Then, you find out how many people have been in exactly your shoes, each thrilled to learn of their hero..like hearing a great album, the first time, like hearing Carole King, or James Taylor the first time…you grow a bit.

This is what is like with Christoper Alexander… and old shoe, a known guy, to millions, but a new discovery to me… hope you’ll enjoy meeting him too.

I also introduce, APPLETON… Jay Appleton, he has many followers too.  I was introduced to him (will droned on about by my Geography teacher in 1975) but.. his concepts of PROSPECT AND REFUGE never left me…those 3 words explained so much of places I loved, sat in, dreamed in, took shelter in…and eventully built my forever house with.

Style is an interesting shortcut, to doing the right thing, in design. In a community, having the same style, helps the houses ‘fit’ each other..

Kinda like a receipt.. scale, color, window shapes, dormers, roof…all all predetermined. They work together..

OK, if your whole community is in this style… but can you put your shingle style, right beside box style? NO…  this is where the rule is broken… and has to be figured out.

Style is also an architects shortcut, its all known.

But, what if you are building up, from ANY possible style, a blank slate…ah.. now we are in a challenge….. but never is a slate blank! It all starts with a mountain hillside, you want to rest in, not barge in.

In an urban area, usually you have neighbors, zoning, codes… you start there.

In a large lot, you can weigh your neighbors less, and look at your setting more.. the West house in the woods