A pattern language

Alexander, C., S. Ishikawa, S. & M. Silverstein, 1977, A pattern language, Oxford University Press, Oxford

  • Author : Alexander, C., S. Ishikawa, S. & M. Silverstein
  • Year : 1977
  • Title English : A pattern language
  • Publisher : Oxford University Press
  • Publisher's Location : Oxford
  • ISBN : 978-0-19-501919-3
  • Pages : 1216
  • Comments : A Pattern Language was originally expected to enable every citizen to design and construct their own home. While that ambitious objective was not entirely realized, it did result in a liberation from empty architectural dogma. Armed with this book, a client can evolve and express his or her own desires for a building. An architect is no longer the absolute and sole source of design ideas and solutions. On a larger scale, mistakes in urban design and planning can be detected and corrected. I believe that this remarkable shift in power, which enables ordinary people to understand their environment -- often better than the professionals -- is responsible for the harsh suppression of this monumental work by certain short-sighted members of the architectural profession. (from: http://zeta.math.utsa.edu/~yxk833/Chris.text.html) An Alexandrian pattern consists of the following components: [2] A name, which describes briefly what the pattern accomplishes within certain larger patterns. A concise problem statement. The body of the problem, including the motivation for the pattern and the forces involved in resolving the problem. A solution, preferably stated in the form of an instruction. A discussion of how the pattern relates to other patterns in the language. (from: http://www.berczuk.com/pubs/Dec94ieee.html) -- KEYWORDS: architecture / theory / aesthetic value / housing / dwellings / homes / size / building construction / rural settlement / urban planning / towns / villages / psychology / man / human ecology / desires / influences Category Architecture (General)