TIMELESS BUILDING


Christopher Alexander (1979). The Timeless Way of Building.


Alexander earned the first PhD in architecture from Harvard University, has written several books...his magnus opus being the four-volume set called, Nature of Order...this Timeless building book is the first in a series of three books that were written before the Nature of Order series.

The detailed table of contents provides essential principles and a summary of the book...the writing is personal with stories and examples among the 552 pages.

the quality without a name brings order from within us, and from that place that is ALIVE in us, we intentionally create the building/space/place, and then sit in the place/space and ask ouselves if it "feels good" (up to 95% agreement is found when people sit in a space and describe if it FEELS good or not)...there are forces within us that seek to be in harmony with the external world around us, and when there is this alignment, we feel alive and at peace whereas when there is not alignment, we feel continuous conflict and tension when in that space/place.

a pattern language guides the building of everything from a desk to a room to a house to a town...part by part, each part contributes to a greater whole, everything existing in relationship to everything else...this is the timeless way of building (we all inately know how to do this) and it need not involve detailed plans...the process begins by imagining a space/place, letting it create itself in our mind as nature creates a flower from seed. 

the book doesn't cover in detail the actual building process (except parts in one chapter)


practice...imagine an ideal room that you want to live in (e.g., a living room, a study, a bedroom)...based on all the rooms you've ever been in, and based on your imagination, what would it look like...let it take shape over time, draw a rough sketch and choose one element to change in your current living space that aligns with your ideal room...make the change and sit in the space and ask: does this feel good? 




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