Watercolor sketches for the projects related with “The Personal Workplace – New System of Office Furniture”: Photographs

Christopher Alexander

Design and Building Process

Structure Preserving Transformations

Holland, MI, U.S.A.

Haworth Manufacturing, Inc. - Tom Hench

Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Gary Black, Mark Brinner

Theree design principles guided the development of the project: 1) Layout of the personal work space by their users in order to meet their own personal needs; this process is achievable through the use of a computer program developed at C.E.S. which carries a worker through the design process. 2) Use of flexible manufacturing techniques, which allow individualisation of each piece of furniture, without increasing costs; the purpose of this feature is to eliminate the modularity that is part and parcel of current systems. 3) The basis of design is the real human needs and desires, not on the latest trend.

Pattern language for project by C.E.S. Generic rules for office layout process Use of full scale mock-ups Fabrication of full size furniture prototypes by C.E.S. Design Development drawings done after fabrication

1509A San Pablo Avenue, 94702, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Mrs. Anna Sala, Ms. Josie Jurcivina

Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Gary Black, Mark Brinner

Center for Environmetal Structure

$20,000

1) Layout of the offices by "Sweet Potatoes" employees: They used a patented office furniture layout process developed by C.E.S. This process allowed users to work with C.E.S. staff to lay out all common areas and individual workstations for themselves. The result was a highly personalized plan of the office, generated entirely by "Sweet Potatoes" employees. 2) Design and fabrication of the individual pieces of furniture at the C.E.S. Workshop in Martinez 3) Installation of the furniture by C.E.S. Personnel: As pieces were completed, they were shipped to Sweet Potatoes, where the C.E.S. assembly crew installed the different items, including thick walls, columns, doorways, desks, lighting, ceilings, floors, cabinets, screens, chairs.

Office layout process used by clients Layout on site by clients and C.E.S. Design Development drawings done after layout Direct Construction management and on-site design decisions

Zeeland, MI, U.S.A.

Herman Miller, Inc. - Rob Harvey, Vice President

Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Gary Black

Theree design principles guided the development of the project: 1) Layout of the personal work space by their users in order to meet their own personal needs; this process is achievable through the use of a computer program developed at C.E.S. which carries a worker through the design process. 2) Use of flexible manufacturing techniques, which allow individualisation of each piece of furniture, without increasing costs; the purpose of this feature is to eliminate the modularity that is part and parcel of current systems. 3) The basis of design is the real human needs and desires, not on the latest trend.

Generic rules for office layout process Use of full scale mock-ups Fabrication of full size furniture prototypes and office rooms by C.E.S. Design Development drawings done after fabrication

Christopher Alexander, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Original on Paper

8 1/2"x11", 8 1/2"x5 1/2"

Christopher Alexander, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Original on Paper

10 5/8"x13 5/8"