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The Timeless Way of Building (Center for Environmental Structure Series) (Hardcover)

by Christopher Alexander (Author) "It is a process through which the order of a building or a town grows out directly from the inner nature of the people, and..." (more)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series) by Christopher Alexander
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Notes on the Synthesis of Form (Harvard Paperbacks) by C Alexander
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Product details

Hardcover: 552 pages
Publisher: OUP USA (10 April 1980)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0195024028
ISBN-13: 978-0195024029
Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 14.2 x 3 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 267,818 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#50 in Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Architecture > Study & Teaching

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Review

This book is more a philosophy of life than an architectural commentary. David Abbott gave it to me some years ago and I constantly refer to it. It is full of wisdom and inspiration, written in Alexander's beautiful prose style ... anyone who cares about the spaces we inhabit should read it. (Mike Dempsey, founding partner of CDT Design, Creative Review )

Synopsis

This introductory volume to Alexander's other works, A Pattern of Language and The Oregon Experiment, explains concepts fundamental to his original approaches to the theory and application of architecture.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
It is 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. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

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49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breathtaking and profound book., 28 Mar 1997

By A Customer

It is amazing how a book that propounds revolutionary architectural theory has stirred up the computer software industry. This deeply philosophical book, which is very practical and rigorous, lays the foundation for developing "pattern languages".

The book is all about a common language that can be shared to build artifacts that are alive. It stresses that a design should always concentrate on the "whole" and not on assembling parts. It also shows the power of distributed processing, if you will, as against centralized processing.

All the great principles have one thing in common. They are simple. And, after one realizes such a simple but profound principle, one can not stop wondering how one survived without it's knowledge. This book gives that feeling. If you are involved in architecture of any sort- buildings, software, organization or even politics- this book is a must for you.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A philosophy of architecture, 9 Aug 2009

By	E. Lander (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Perhaps it should have been called 'Zen and the Art of Building'.... I hadn't come across this book before, although I think it may be required reading for architecture students. Having come from a design background myself I found it interesting.

It's long winded and often waxes lyrical, but the basic premise states that buildings are not for enhancing the egos of architects, but instead, they are for the people who use and live in them. So far, so good. Alexander also reveals how the patterns of activities carried out within a building are either helped or hindered by it's architecture, again, fairly predictable. He points out how certain buildings feel 'alive' while others are 'dead' spaces.

The book goes on to explain how to achieve what Alexander calls 'the quality with no name' which brings a building, even a whole city, to life. It's a very organic process, achieved without the detailed plans normally involved in construction. I love the idea of building in this way, but I'm not surprised it's not widely practiced. How long will the project take? How do you budget? Maybe he covers all that in one of his other books!

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5.0 out of 5 stars What an amazingly simple philosophy. , 20 Jan 2009

By	John Melvin (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

On starting this book it did seem a bit `alternative' and pseudomystical and you begin to think it was a lot of money to spend on a book. As you get used to the style and you absorb the message it becomes a very powerful force. The idea that people built before architects told them how to and that this knowledge has become lost is evident as you read. But this simple philosophy could apply to so many other areas of life where experts have taken away our knowledge. A must for any self builder or thinker - brilliant.

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