Book Chapter

Chapter 12. Every Part is Unique, 5 / The Surprising Character of what Unfolds

Book title:

The Nature of Order – An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book Two – The Process of Creating Life

Pages:

338-339

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Content of

Book

The Nature of Order - An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe. Book Two - The Process of Creating Life 2002

Authors:

Christopher Alexander

Publisher:

The Center for Environmental Structure Publishing, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

No of pages:

636 pp

“The Process of Creating Life”, the second volume of “The Nature of Order” series presents a dynamic theory of living structure. It begins with an analysis of transformations, which occur in nature, and the distinction between structure-preserving transformations, responsible for ...

References

Scientific Research

The Uniqueness of People's Individual Worlds, Always Respected and Manifested

Areas of focus:

Design and Building Process

Guiding idea:

Participation of Users

In the last two centuries "modular" design has produced identical apartments, arranged in typical apartment blocks. The same is true for mass-produced furniture. Uniqueness, which expresses personal needs and whiches, and which springs from the need to adapt and connect ...

Projects

Fort Mason Bench 1984

Marina District, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Other, Realized , Construction completed in Jun-1984

Client:

CoEvolution Quarterly; Uncommon Courtesy, School of Compassionate Skills - Irmine Steltzner; Whole Earth Catalogue - Stewart Brand

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, Rodney Moore, 22 workshop participants

Contractor:

Center for Environmetal Structure

Sponsor:

Fort Mason Center, Marina Green, San Francisco - Mr. Mark Kasky, Director

Design and construction process:

1) Apprentice workshop announced: The workshop was given under the auspices of "Uncommon Courtesy", a non-profit organization financed by the "Whole Earth Catalogue and Co-evolution Quarterly". Twenty "students" joined. 2) Making a mockup on site: The first design act was to place several hundered concrete blocks in a large arched shape. This mock-up was used to depict the general layout of the bench. 3) Construction commences: Having the location and the overall shape, construction proceeded with more and more refinements in the general shape and details of the bench going on during construction. 4) Refinements: Sophisticated new techniques developed by C.E.S. were used to provide green and white polished marble inserts of animals, flowers, and abstract ornaments

Project stages:

Layout on the site by workshop particants No drawings were produced Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Built by the workshop participants

A three-tiered masonry public bench and centerpiece, on the Fort Mason pier, overlooking Alcatraz Island. It was built within three weeks as part of the "Spirit in Design" workshop, beginning on 24-Mar-1984 following an announcement in "CoEvolution Quarterly". The main intent ...