Go BackThe Nature of Order – An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book Two – The Process of Creating Life
“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 the living quality of traditional towns and villages, and the structure destroying transformations that dominate the construction of the modern world. The first part ends with an analysis of living structure as it has occurred in the 20th-century world.
The second part offers a detailed analysis of living process. It introduces a fundamental operation, seen to be the necessary atomic component of all life-creating processes. Most of part 2 shows the way in which a new profession of architecture, and a new society, may be built on the repeated use of living processes. The book ends with a vision of a society that is dominated by living process, and with examination of the way in which social change, towards living process, can be made to happen piecemeal.
The book was exhibited at Locus Manifesto-exposition “Re-enchant the World: Architecture and the City facing society´s transitions”, together with others in Science Cabinet #1.
Authors:
Christopher Alexander
Publisher:
The Center for Environmental Structure Publishing, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
No of pages:
636 pp
Contents
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Chapter 10. Always Making Centers, 10 / Emergence of Strong Centers at Fine Scale in the Julian Street Inn
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 LifePages:293-295 -
Chapter 10. Always Making Centers, 9 / The Julian Street Inn
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 LifePages:283-291 -
Chapter 11. The Sequence of Unfolding, 8 / A Generative Sequence for Apartment Buildings in Pasadena
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 LifePages:306-313 -
Chapter 11. The Sequence of Unfolding: 9 / Uniqueness of Apartment Buildings Generated by the Sequence
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 LifePages:313-317 -
Chapter 12. Every Part is Unique, 3 / Uniqueness Arises Naturally from Sequence, from Doing Things in the Right Order and from the Appropriateness of Repetition
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 LifePages:332-335 -
Chapter 12. Every Part is Unique, 4 / Every Living Process is -at its Core- a Process Which is Devetoted, Through Adaptation, to Making Every Part Unique
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 LifePages:335-338 -
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 LifePages:338-339 -
Chapter 13. Patterns: Generic Rules for Making Centers, 11 / The System of Patterns Emanates as a Whole
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 LifePages:360-363 -
Chapter 13. Patterns: Generic Rules for Making Centers, 12 / The Eishin School Pattern Language
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 LifePages:363-366 -
Chapter 13. Patterns: Generic Rules for Making Centers, 7/ A New Language for Houses in Peru
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 LifePages:349-353 -
Chapter 13. Patterns: Generic Rules for Making Centers, 8 / The Type of Observation Which Leads to Discovery of Living Centers
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 LifePages:353-354 -
Chapter 13. Patterns: Generic Rules for Making Centers, 9 / The Process of Finding a Good Center
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 LifePages:354-357 -
Chapter 14. Deep Feeling, 10 / Classrooms in the Rain
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 LifePages:393-395 -
Chapter 14. Deep Feeling, 3 / A Panel of Yellow Blossoms
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 LifePages:374-375 -
Chapter 14. Deep Feeling, 6 / The Black Columns
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 LifePages:378-381 -
Chapter 14. Deep Feeling, 8 / Designing a Music Cabinet
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 LifePages:384-387 -
Chapter 14. Deep Feeling, 9 / Feeling as the Origin of the Artistic Whole
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 LifePages:388-392 -
Chapter 14. Deep Feeling, Appendix / The Hard Work of Creating an Engine that Produces Genuine Feeling
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 LifePages:397-399 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 10 / A Generative Process for Middle-Ranfe Order in the Building Structure
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 LifePages:427-428 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 11 / What Seems as an Imposition of Geometry is Necessary as a Part of Every Living Process
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 LifePages:428-430 -
15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 2 / Formation of Brutal and Massive Chunks in the Visitor Center at West Dean
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 LifePages:403-406 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 4 / The Aperiodic Grid
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 LifePages:408-412 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 5 / The Sapporo Building
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 LifePages:412-416 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 6 / What is Really Happening in such a Case
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 LifePages:417-420 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 7 / Outward Simplicity of Form and Packing of Form
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 LifePages:421-422 -
Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 8 / A Further Structural Example
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 LifePages:422-426 -
Chapter 16. Form Language and Style, 11/ Possibility of a Form Language for all Future Time
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 LifePages:455-457 -
Chapter 16. Form Language and Style, 5/ The Style Needed for Unfolded, Living Form
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 LifePages:437-439 -
Chapter 17. Simplicity, 4 / Doing the Simplest Thing: The Basis of Structure-Preserving Transformations
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 LifePages:467-469 -
Chapter 17. Simplicity, 6 / Symmetry, Simplicity, and Just What is Required
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 LifePages:471-476 -
Chapter 17. Simplicity, 7 / The Idea of a Νatural System of Symmeries
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 LifePages:476-479 -
Chapter 17. Simplicity, 8 / At Each Step Get Rid of Everything That is not Required; "Making Life" and "Being Simple" are the Same
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 LifePages:480-483 -
Chapter 19. Massive Process Difficulties, 3 / Excessive Rigidity of Rules
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 LifePages:514-515 -
Chapter 19. Massive Process Difficulties, 6 / Further Difficulties of Appropriate Sequence: The New Jersey Wetlands
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 LifePages:517-518 -
Chapter 2. Structure Preserving Transformations, 2 / Structure Preserving Transformations Further Discussion
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 LifePages:55-58 -
Chapter 5. Examples of Living Process in The Modern Era, 2 / A Wide Range of Structure-Preserving Processes and Living Processes / House-Proud Owner, Mexicali, Mexico
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 LifePages:157 -
Chapter 5. Examples of Living Process in The Modern Era, 2 / A Wide Range of Structure-Preserving Processes and Living Processes / The Upham House, Berkeley, California
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 LifePages:158 -
Chapter 7. The Fundamental Differentiating Process, 5 / Emergence of Beautiful Geometry
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 LifePages:211-213 -
Chapter 8. Step-by-Step Adaptation, 4 / Step-by-Step Adaptation
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 LifePages:236-237 -
Chapter 8. Step-by-Step Adaptation, 5 / Feedback
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 LifePages:237-240 -
Chapter 8. Step-by-Step Adaptation, 8 / Architectural Implications
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 LifePages:245-246 -
Chapter 9. Each Step is Always Helping to Enhance the Whole, 9 / Microcosm of a Process Which is Guided by the Whole
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 LifePages:264-266 -
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 1 / A Radical New Process
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 2 / Finding a Site
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 3 / First Analysis of Site with Rough Twisted Paper and Balsa Models New Process
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 4 / Full-Size Tests of Volume and Position on Site
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 5 / A First Sketch
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 6 / Checking the Neighbors' Views
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 7 / First Emergence of an Interior Plan
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 8 / Extension of the Lot: The Little Plum Tree
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 9 / Deeper Questions about the Feeling of the Plan
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 10 / A Deeper Conception of the Living Room
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 11 / Laying the House out on the Land
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 12 / Starting to Get a General idea of Construction
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 13 / Establishing Rooms
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 14 / Upstairs Rooms
Appendix A Small Example of a Living Process, 15 / Analysis of Costs
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 LifePages:571-588 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 16 / Concrete Wall Details
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 LifePages:588-590 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 17 / Plasterwork Experiments
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 LifePages:590 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 18 / Start of Construction
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 19 / The Retaining Wall
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 20 / Management Agreement that Feeling Must Guide Even the Most Technical Aspects of Construction
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 21 / Setting the Main-Floor Level
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 22 / Excavation
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 23 / Fine-Tuning the Plan as we Fix Forms for the Foundation Walls
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 LifePages:591-596 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 24 / The Lily Tiles
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 LifePages:596-599 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 25 / Placing and Fine-Tuning First-Floor Rooms
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 26 / Making and Placing the First-Floor Wall
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 27 / Fixing the Living Room: Its Doors and Fireplace and Windows
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 28 / Remaking Other First-Floor Rooms
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 29 / Completing the First-Floor Structure
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 30 / Pouring and Forming the Garage
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 31 / Getting the Entrance Path Just Right
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 32 / Remaking the Upstairs Rooms
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 33 / The Master Bed Alcove
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 LifePages:600-612 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 34 / The Kitchen Fireplace Shape
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 LifePages:612-613 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 35 / The Kitchen Floor
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 LifePages:613-614 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 36 / Plasterwork
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 LifePages:615-617 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 37 / Window Openings and Window
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 LifePages:617-619 -
Appendix. A Small Example of a Living Process, 38 / Balustrades of the Upstairs Balconies and the Concrete Frieze
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 LifePages:620-621
SEE ALL Book Chapters
References
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The Process of Urban Design and the Formation of Larger Urban Wholes
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Structure Preserving TransformationsTheoretical basis and key assumptions for the process of urban growth, tested initially in the San Francisco Waterfront experimental project in 1979, in which the formation of larger urban wholes was highlighted as an overriding rule. This process was further ...
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Geometry and Fifteen Fundamental Properties
Areas of focus:Structure of SpaceGuiding idea:Centers and Fields of CentersChristopher Alexander recognized the importance of the geometry of centers and for years he was looking for the common structural features among buildings, paintings, streets, carpets, doors, windows, etc. which have "life" and "wholeness". He identified fifteen structural features which ...
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Design and Construction is one Integrated Making Process
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Construction ProcessThe design process of a project and its construction process are united into one continuous and intertwined making process, unfolding in a step-by-step sequence. Design ends together with the completion of the construction process. "Making" is a conception of the ...
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The Layout Process of Buildings on the Land - Visualization at Full Scale on Site
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Step by Step ProcessEach act of building needs to have a positive effect on its surroundings; to complete them, preserve their structure, make them better, by creating strong centers in them and next to them. Each new building is more alive when it ...
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Designing with Patterns and Generic Rules for Making Centers
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Structure Preserving TransformationsPattern languages consist of a multitude of patterns which reflect and define a way of life, people's inner feelings and aspirations, they relate to culture, to climate and to the actual place, and they are rooted in observation. During the pattern ...
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Users Involved in the Construction of their Project
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Participation of UsersThe benefits of the involvement of the users in the actual construction of their houses under the guidance and management of the architect-builder or the contractor, besides the obvious economical, are manifested in the personal qualities and feeling of these ...
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The Sequence of Unfolding - Generative Codes for the Design Process
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Structure Preserving TransformationsIn architecture, as in other things, the "right" sequence is of vital importance. It is a generative sequence of progressive differentiations, which allow space to unfold in the right order. Each differentiation acts on the product of the previous ...
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The Uniqueness of People's Individual Worlds, Always Respected and Manifested
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Participation of UsersIn 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 ...
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Emergence of Geometric Order in Building Structure
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Structure Preserving TransformationsFocusing primarily on the pure beauty of the geometric order, which comes, above all, from the building structure (columns, walls, beams, vaults and so forth), specifically from the aperiodic grids which form the abstract underpinning of the building structure.
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On Science of Architecture and Related
Areas of focus:Connections to Other SciencesGuiding idea:Complexity TheoryResearch on new concepts in Complexity Theory and on the way Architecture could be approached as science despite its unique characteristics and qualities.
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Strong Centers in all Levels of Scale
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Structure Preserving TransformationsA building can only amount to something as a living thing when the various physical elements which appear in it are profound centers. The dominant feature of the process that is working correctly is that new centers are formed, and ...
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A New Approach to Design and Construction Management
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Construction ProcessA new kind of design/construction/management process, especially for large projects, is required, which will allow the building to be conceived, designed and built so that it comes to life. Below are the ground rules of such a process, already tried ...
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Wholeness and Feeling in Structure-Enhancing Transformations
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Feeling as the Core of the ProcessChristopher Alexander formulated this principle as follows: In any living process, or any process of design or making, the way forward, the next step which is most structure-enhancing, is that step which most intensifies the feeling of the emerging whole. "Feeling" ...
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Project Specific Pattern Languages - Specificity and Generality of Pattern Languages
Areas of focus:Design and Building ProcessGuiding idea:Pattern Languages in PracticeA shared pattern language in a project acts as the generic system which gives the power to the smaller local acts to form a whole. Within the process of making a project, every individual act of building differentiates space. However, ...
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Wholeness and the Theory of Centers
Areas of focus:Structure of SpaceGuiding idea:Centers and Fields of CentersChristoper Alexander defined and described wholeness as an idea to view and shape space, and searched for ways to formulate and represent wholeness in precise terms, as a structure. He idenfied the entities with 'strength' give structure to what is ...
SEE ALL Scientific Research
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The Nature of Order - An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book One - The Phenomenon of Life
2002
Authors:Christopher AlexanderPublisher:The Center for Environmental Structure Publishing, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.No of pages:476 pp“The Phenomenon of Life”, the first volume of “The Nature of Order” series proposes a scientific view of the world in which all space-matter has perceptible degrees of life and sets this understanding of order as an intellectual basis for ...
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The Nature of Order - An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book Four - The Luminous Ground
2004
Authors:Christopher AlexanderPublisher:The Center for Environmental Structure Publishing, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.No of pages:356 pp“The Luminous Ground” is the fourth and last volume of “The Nature of Order” series. In this volume, Alexander attempts to show the cosmological underpinning of the nature of order. The book has two goals. First, to show that the ...
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The Nature of Order - An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book Three - A Vision of a Living World
2005
Authors:Christopher AlexanderPublisher:The Center for Environmental Structure Publishing, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.No of pages:697 pp“A Vision of a Living World”, the third volume of “The Nature of Order” series, presents, for the first time, a full spectrum of Alexander’s and CES built and unbuilt works. The book describes hundreds of buildings, plans, neighborhoods, drawings, ...
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Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations
1969 to
1970
11km north of Lima, Lima, PeruMaster Planning, Low Cost Housing, Realized , Invited Competition, Proposal submitted in 1970Client:Mr. Peter Land, United Nations coordinator of PREVI projectC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Sanford Hirshen, Sara Ishikawa, Christie Coffin, Shlomo AngelSponsor:United NationsProject cost:$1,800-$3,800 / houseProject stages:Pattern language for the project by C.E.S. Generic rules for choice process Preliminary Design Innovative construction methodsMaster plan for a community of 1500 houses, submitted as one out of twelve other competition entries for the United Nations sponsored international housing competition PREVI (Proyecto Experimental de Vivienda). The Center for Environmental Structure was chosen as the ...
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Low Cost Houses for Mexicali
1975 to
1977
Mexicali, Baja California, MexicoLow Cost Housing, Realized , Construction completed in 1977Client:Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexicali - Mr. Jorge Nunez, Director of the School of ArchitectureC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Julio Martinez, Howard Davis, Donald Corner, students and familiesContractor:Built by the families and local subcontractors under the management of the Center for Environmental StructureSponsor:University of Baja CaliforniaProject cost:$70,000Project stages:Pattern language for the project by C.E.S. Layout on the ground by clients and C.E.S. Preliminary Design drawings done after layout Direct Construction management along with on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. control Users inA cluster of houses for large families, with a builders yard, built by the families themselves with the help of students from the Universidad Autonoma of Mexico, and a team of builders from the Center for Environmental Structure. Each house ...
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Linz Café
1980
Linz , AustriaCommercial, Realized , Construction completed in Jul-1980Client:Forum Design; Österreichisches Institut für Visuelle Gestaltung - Angela HareiterC.E.S. staff:Christopher AlexanderContractor:Construction management by the Center for Environmental Structure with local subcontractorsProject cost:$35.000Project stages:Layout on the site by C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development drawings done after layout Direct construction management and on-site design decisionsBuilt as part of the international exposition "Forum Design" and designed to be "portable". Wooden building overlooking the Danube, with the first floor of the building raised to clear the ten-foot-high river embarkment. Yellow and red exterior, three stories, 2,300 ...
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House for John and Mara Lighty
1981 to
1989
2675 Harness Drive, Berryessa Estates, Pope Valley, Napa County, CA, U.S.A.Residential, Realized , Construction completed in Aug-1989Client:Mr. & Mrs. John and Mara LightyC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Gary Black, Gernot MittersteinerContractor:Center for Environmetal StructureProject cost:$72,788Project stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout Use of full scale mock-ups Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Users involved in the construction Innovative constructiTerraced house built for a couple; the house consists of six building volumes, gracefully positioned on a wooded slope among white oak trees, and includes the living room - kitchen volume, the studio volume, the bedroom - library volume, a ...
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Housing Plan for Guasare New Town
1981 to
1983
Guasare, Maracaibo, VenezuelaNeighborhood Planning, Designed , Completed in May-1983Client:"Corpozulia", the Public Development Corporation of the State of Zulia - represented by Mrs. Rosario Giusti de Perez, Director of the New Town Development PlanC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Martine Weissmann, Hansjoachim NeisProject stages:Generative rules for urban growth process Generative rules for the neighborhood layout process Generative rules for house layout process by users Implementation processThe project focused on the housing component of the master plan for the new town of Guasare, in the state of Maracaibo, Venezuela, planned to accomodate several thousand workers. The design of its neighborhoods, each one for about 250 families, ...
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Sala House
1981 to
1983
700 Hillside, 94706, Albany, CA, U.S.A.Residential, Realized , Construction completed in Jun-1983Client:Mr. & Mrs. Andre and Anna SalaC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Gary Black, Bob Smith, David Turtle, Seth Wachtel, Andre SalaContractor:Center for Environmetal StructureProject cost:$180.000Design and construction process:1) Personal vision: C.E.S. worked with the Sala family to gain an understanding of their needs and to derive from them a deep and personal vision of their house. 2) Layout on the site: several sessions on the site, laying out the exterior edges of the house volume along with outside courtyards, completed by C.E.S. staff working with the Salas. The interior rooms of the ground floor were also laid out on the site. 3) Preparation of drawings: At the end of the layout process it was possible for C.E.S. to prepare a set of drawings for the building permit from the City of Albany. 4) Construction commences and design continues; C.E.S. was the general contractor, and so the design process which had been begun in the first phase was carried through the construction phase, with many crucial on-site design decisions being made weekly, even daily, while the house was under construction. 5) Finishing touches: Hand-painted woodwork, color, details, furnishings, were done by C.E.S. staff and construction crews.Project stages:Pattern language for the project by clients and C.E.S. Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout Use of full scale mock-ups Direct Construction management along with on-site design decisThree-story tower, 20 feet by 20 feet in plan on each floor, on a wooded, sloping site. The interior structure of the house is wood post and beam with pine panelling and hand-painted surfaces, and the exterior is a red ...
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Sapporo Apartment Building
1981 to
1982
Minami-7-joh, Nish-2-chome, Chuo-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, JapanResidential, Designed , Not builtClient:Mrs. Keiko Inoue and familyC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Gary BlackProject cost:Expected construction cost: $2,000,000Project stages:Preliminary DesignTen-story apartment building, with forty-five one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, with shops and offices on the first three floors. The building, of concrete-encased steel, was to be built over an existing clinic. The structural frame consists of twenty enormous columns ran all ...
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Eishin Campus - High School and College Complex
1982 to
1987
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , The first largest part was completed in 1985, the second part in 1988, and one more building was added in 1995Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander - Chief Architect, Hans-Joachim Neis - Executive Architect, Gary Black - Structural Engineer, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King - Architect, Artemis Anninou - ArchitectContractor:Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, JapanDesign and construction process:The work on the design of project performed by C.E.S. was divided in four phases. 1) Creation of a pattern language; 2) Layout on the site; 3) Design of the individual buildings; 4) Working drawings 1) The first step in the project was to create a pattern language for the school. This was achieved by spending a total of 1200 man-hours discussing the many requirements with the various teachers, professors and staff of the Eishin School. The results of these interviews and discussions were condensed into a coherent vision, which was written up in the form of patterns (a written documentation that describes a physical reality). A copy of the pattern language that was created had been included as part of the submission to the client. 2) The next step in the process was to lay out the various buildings and outdoor spaces on the site. The main goal in this step was to position the buildings so that they form positive outdoor spaces, and to use stakes to mark the corners so that all of the concerned parties can get an actual physical sense of how the site will feel when the buildings were built. When the site felt as though it was laid out just right, the position of each building was recorded. From this record an overall site plan was drawn. At the same time that this process was going on, a large-scale site model was under continuous development in the C.E.S. office in Japan, where the users could see it and discuss it, day by day, as the work proceeded. This played an important role in helping to establish a direct connection between the users, and the site plan of the finished campus. 3) The third step in the process was the design of the individual buildings. In the Eishin School project, 35 buildings in all were designed. During this phase, various types of construction were considered which could capture the vision of the project. Some of the buildings were designed as concrete block, some were plastered concrete, and others were constructed out of heavy timber. 4) In the fourth stage, preparation of working drawings and permission, C.E.S. did its own engineering and construction estimation. Many of the buildings have unique engineering behavior, which was developed on the C.E.S. computer programs by the C.E.S. engineering staff. C.E.S. also did extensive full-scale mock-ups of crucial materials and construction details during this stage, to guarantee that the final buildings would have the emotional reality with project staff was seeking.Project stages:Pattern language for the project by clients and C.E.S. Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Generic rules for urban growth process Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Innovative construction mThe project was envisioned to be a new combined High School and College Complex for the Eishin Gakuen Foundation, in Saitama prefecture, outside Tokyo, and was designed as such. The campus was to be the working environment of a population ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Central Hall
1982 to
1985
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in 1985Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingContractor:Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, JapanProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management along with on-site design decisions Innovative construction methodsThe Central Hall is located at the end of the homebase street. Α student gathering area with four-foot-thick concrete base walls and arched openings, with built-in benches, which double as entrances to the building. Arches and seats form alcoves, and ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Great Hall - Auditorium
1982 to
1986
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in May-1986Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingContractor:Structural contractor: Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, Japan; Finish contractor: Center for Environmental Structure, JapanProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management along with on-site design decisions Innovative construction methodsA large ceremonial building located at the main square and forming one edge of the lake. The main bridge that crosses the lake starts next to its massive podium. Its floor area is 14,000 square feet and has a three-story ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Dining Hall
1982 to
1985
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in 1985Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis AnninouContractor:Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, JapanProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management along with on-site design decisions Innovative construction methodsThe Dining Hall is located on a high point of the site overlooking the lake, with an extensive lawn in front of it, and the bridge crossing the lake leading into it. It is a wooden, long and narrow building ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Campus Pedestrian Streets Network
1986 to
1989
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in 1989Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingContractor:Center for Environmental Structure, JapanProject cost:$1,500,000Design and construction process:The design of the landscape for the Eishin School Campus is created by, and influences the buildings on the site. The intent was to create a complete environment to compel learning and creativity in the most positive and beautiful way. Various elements designed into the landscape work to create this harmonious atmosphere, of which the following are examples. Gates were designed to invite the visitor to continue along the paths and streets of the site, as well as to create an act of entrance and passage. The main homebase street is formed by the individual homeroom buildings. It is a wide, lively, sunny street, which creates a forum where the students can come together outdoors, as a larger group, and where lively activity can unfold. In between the buildings, small gardens are created, separated from the activity of the street by fences. Other gardens are formed along the galleries which connect the rooms of the faculty hall. In front of the lounge is a teacher's garden for resting and enjoyment. The lake was created as a major element of the campus. In the early phase of design for the school, teachers and students indicated that one element they felt most important to be a part of the school, was a body of water. It is a focus for activity, with ducks and boats accessible by students, as well as for quiet reflection and beauty. A wooden bridge arches over the lake, making the entire campus accessible.Project stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. controlThe Eishin Campus pedestrian network includes a main square connected to the homebase wide street, narrow streets, arcaded alleys, paths and courtyards, fences, gates and terraces. It starts with a small square in front of the small gate, continues with ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: College Buildings D and E
1982 to
1987
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in Jun-1987Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis AnninouContractor:Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, JapanProject cost:$1,500,000Project stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management along with on-site design decisions Innovative construction methodsThe two college buildings on the north side of the College Complex were incorporated into the High School; they are located to the right and left of the Central Hall, flanked by the Arts and Science buildings. Each two-storey college ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Single Homebase Buildings
1982 to
1985
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in 1985Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingContractor:Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, JapanProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management along with on-site design decisionsThe Homebase Buildings form the homebase street. They are two-story masonry buildings with pitched tiled roofs and concrete ornamental wall friezes. Each one has its own garden, with a stair leading to the second floor classrom. There are five such ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Double Homebase Buildings
1982 to
1985
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Realized , Construction completed in 1985Client:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingContractor:Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, JapanProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management along with on-site design decisionsThe Homebase Buildings form the homebase street. They are two-story masonry buildings with pitched tiled roofs and concrete ornamental wall friezes. Each one has its own garden, with a stair leading to the second floor classrom. There are two double ...
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Eishin Campus - College Complex
1982 to
1984
Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, JapanEducational, Designed , Not builtClient:Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingProject stages:Preliminary DesignThe College Complex is the part of the Eishin Campus, which was fully designed but not constructed. It was designed to form an elongated outdoor space with the five arcaded college building shaping the two long sides, the library and ...
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Fort Mason Bench
1984
Marina District, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.Other, Realized , Construction completed in Jun-1984Client:CoEvolution Quarterly; Uncommon Courtesy, School of Compassionate Skills - Irmine Steltzner; Whole Earth Catalogue - Stewart BrandC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Rodney Moore, 22 workshop participantsContractor:Center for Environmetal StructureSponsor:Fort Mason Center, Marina Green, San Francisco - Mr. Mark Kasky, DirectorDesign 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 ornamentsProject stages:Layout on the site by workshop particants No drawings were produced Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Built by the workshop participantsA 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 ...
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New System of Office Furniture for Haworth, Inc.
1985 to
1986
Holland, MI, U.S.A.Office Furniture, Designed , Furniture prototypes built by C.E.S.Client:Haworth Manufacturing, Inc. - Tom HenchC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Gary Black, Mark BrinnerDesign and construction process: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.Project stages: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 fabricationThe new system of office furniture, intended for mass production, was designed in such a way as to be capable of creating the environment for millions of workers, in an endless variety of specific configurations. The line of furniture provided ...
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Offices and Workshops for Sweet Potatoes Children's Clothing Factory
1985 to
1986
1509A San Pablo Avenue, 94702, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.Offices & Workshops, Office Furniture, Realized , Construction completed in Apr-1986Client:Mrs. Anna Sala, Ms. Josie JurcivinaC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Gary Black, Mark BrinnerContractor:Center for Environmetal StructureProject cost:$20,000Design and construction process: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.Project stages: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 decisions2,300 square feet of interior office space for the management and administrative staff for "Sweet Potatoes" clothing factory to accommodate two partners and eleven employees. All interior furnishings, walls, floors, ceilings, lighting, built-in cabinets, desks, storage, chairs, tables, custom fitted ...
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Emoto Apartment Building
1986 to
1989
Tokyo, JapanResidential, Realized , Construction completed in 1989Client:Mrs. Sugiko EmotoC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Miyoko TsutsuiContractor:Kibe Construction Company, with subsidiary management by Center for Environmental Structure, JapanProject cost:$1,500,000Project stages:Use of full scale mock-ups Preliminary Design and Design Development drawings Direct Construction management along with on-site design decisions Subcontractors under C.E.S. controlAn apartment building laid out to enhance the two streets of the Komagone neighborhood, not far from downtown Tokyo. The site is surrounded with large buildings, and a local neighborhood behind, with lower buildings and much narrower streets. It is ...
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Julian Street Inn - Shelter for the Homeless
1986 to
1990
Julian St. & Montgomery St., San Jose, CA, U.S.A.Civic, Realized , Construction completed in 1989; final interior painting in 1990Client:Housing for Independent People - Al DiLudovico, Executive DirectorC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Gary Black, Artemis Anninou, Carl Lindberg, James Maguire, Eleni Coromvli, Kleoniki TsotropoulouContractor:Oliver and Company, with Center for Environmetal Structure as major specialty subcontractorProject cost:$1,700,000Project stages:Pattern language for project by clients and C.E.S. Layout by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Building Permit drawings Direct Construction management and on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.EDesign and construction of a shelter for homeless people, to serve 50 to 100 people, on a site of 13,000 sf. The building of 15,000 square feet includes offices, living areas with a dining hall, sleeping rooms, courtyards and gardens. ...
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Civic Center & Town Hall for Mountain View
1986
Mountain View, CA, U.S.A.Civic, Designed , Invited Competition, Not builtClient:City of Mountain View - Mr. Michael Freedman, c/o ROMA, urban design consultant to the cityC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Gary BlackProject cost:Expected construction cost: $17,000,000Project stages:Design DevelopmentInvited design competition entry. One of five invited entries and winner of first round selection process. The project with 100,000 square feet of total area of construction included: a) the new City Hall building 65,000 sq.ft.; b) Community Theater with ...
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Pasadena Zoning Ordinance for Multi-family Housing
1987 to
1988
Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.Zoning Ordinance, Residential, Realized , Completed in 1988 and implementedClient:Pasadena Multi-family Housing Task ForceC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Friso BroeksmaProject cost:$135,000Project stages:Pattern language for project by C.E.S. Generative rules for urban growth process Generative rules for building layout process Implementation processThe purpose of the draft ordinance was to define new guidelines which would permit high intensity development to continue in a way which is in keeping with Pasadena's heritage. Respect for the existing physical qualities of the old Pasadena residential ...
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De Neufville Village
1989 to
1994
Mendham Township, NJ, U.S.A.Neighborhood Planning, Designed , Not builtClient:New Jersey Conservation Foundation - Mr. Karl KehdeC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, James Maguire, othersProject cost:$7,000Project stages:Generic rules for urban growth process Construction management rules and process Site plan completedSite plan and construction process for a neighborhood of 60 houses, on a 90-acre site, to become a model of ecological development, in which woods, lake and greens are to be integrated with houses, designed and built in such a ...
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Tokyo International Forum: Conference Center for City of Tokyo
1989
3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JapanCivic, Designed , Invited Competition, Not builtClient:Tokyo International Forum Project Office, Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Eleni Coromvli, Gary BlackProject cost:Expected construction cost: $750,000,000Project stages:Preliminary Design drawings Construction innovation methodsInvited design competition entry for a complex of conference halls, auditoria, exhibition halls, and other public facilities at a central site in downtown Tokyo, occupied by the City Hall, which was to be razed to make way for this project. ...
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House for Chris Upham and Stephanie Upham
1989 to
1994
37 Poppy Lane, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.Residential, Realized , Construction completed in 1994Client:Mr. & Mrs. Christopher and Stephanie UphamC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Randall Schmidt, Carl Lindberg, Gary Black, James MaguireContractor:Center for Environmetal StructureProject cost:$439,000Project stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout Direct construction management and on-site design decisionsTwo-story family house, with 2,400 square feet floor area, designed with the participation of the clients. The construction of a massive 15 high foot high retaining wall and sewer reconstruction caused by unusual hill condition added $96,000 to the house ...
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Student Housing for the University of Oregon
1991 to
1992
Eugene, OR, U.S.A.Master Planning, Educational, Residential, Designed , Not builtClient:University of Oregon - Mr. Chris Ramey, Campus PlannerC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim NeisProject cost:Expected construction cost: $13,000,000; unit cost: $39,000/apartmentProject stages:Preliminary Design stage in progessMaster plan for 300 units of low-budget student housing on the campus of the University of Oregon -- called the Amazon Plan, to be developed on a 7.5 acres of flat land by replacing 243 existing units. The project basic ...
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New City Center for Samarkand
1993
Samarkand, UzbekistanCivic, Designed , Design Competition, Not builtC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Robert M. Walsh, Hansjoachim Neis, studentsSponsor:Aga Khan FoundationDesign and construction process:Christopher Alexander wrote the following ‘‘poem’’ — a list of partially formed centers — at the very beginning of the work on the Samarkand city center, almost the day they began, long before they had worked it through. 1. It is a sequence of public squares, gardens, and buildings, which will form the new center of the city of Samarkand, uniting historic and traditional buildings and quarters. 2. There is a new dimension here, a center of spiritual life. It is not a commercial center, not a cultural center, not a religious center in the old idea. It is not a convention center. Somehow, this new center of the city of Samarkand, unites old and new, weaves together the thread of the silk road, the tomb of Timur the Great, with the modern world, and a vision of the world in which comfortable human concern, and a spiritual awareness of the importance of life, is visible, felt, and active. 3. It is an inspiring place to go. A place of pilgrimage, which will receive visitors from the five continents, in increasing thousands. 4. A network of beautiful paths, formed by columns, colonnades, brick walls, buildings, gardens. This network of paths, which passes across the whole area, is formed by the building masses which arise out of it, and by formal gardens. 5. Do the paths open into courtyards, ponds, gardens, hidden places? Are they formed only by mysterious buildings, rising in color, tile, and marble? Are there figures, statues, animals, Gods, people, statues standing at the places where the paths cross? 6. Are the animals themselves covered with mysterious animals? 7. Is there any reference to voyages? 8. The main thing one is aware of is a network of green and beautiful jewel-like streets. Each has lush trees, seats, platforms, streams. 9. These green streets, made by their trees, benches, sitting platforms, and edges, form a lacework of places to walk. They are like parks, long and narrow, you can explore for many hours, walking around these streets. 10. Each one of the streets arrives on some new treasure. Each building is like a treasure, arrived at by the green streets. 11. Samarkand, historically, and in the time of Ulugh Beg, was a crossroads of the world. In the Tang dynasty period, every conceivable exotic substance, or idea, or artifact, or art on earth, came through Samarkand. No matter where it went, or where it came from, it went through Samarkand. 12. Somehow, then, one may imagine these green heavenly paths, as a network—almost a mythical bazaar in which reference to these many exotic substances exists. 13. The blue tile work of the Timurids, the hand-painted blue tiles, with small black, yellow, and white detail, on mud brick—these tiles, and the yellow bricks are in evidence on walls, domes, courtyards throughout the center. It is a thread which connects. 14. The whole network of paths is almost like a forbidden city. A place which is walled, punctured at very occasional places which allow one to enter, a special area that contains its own magic.Project stages:Pattern language for project by C.E.S. Concept DesignAga Kahn design competition for the new cultural center for the ancient city of Samarkand; the competition called for the reconstruction of a central city area about 1000 meters by 500 meters, which was to contain a great variety of ...
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Neighborhood of Five Houses: Heisey House
1992 to
1996
Lake Travis, Austin, TX, U.S.A.Residential, Realized , Construction completed in 1995Client:Mr. & Mrs. James and Sylvia HeiseyC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Saul Pichardo, Randall SchmidtContractor:Center for Environmetal Structure with Carl LindbergProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. controlDesign and construction of a family house for Jim and Sylvia Heisey, with an area of 2.000 square feet.
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Sanders House
1993 to
2004
Sonoma, CA, U.S.A.Residential, Designed , Not builtClient:Mr. William Sanders and JenkinsC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, othersProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Preliminary Design drawings done after layout
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West Dean College Gardens Visitor's Center
1994 to
1996
Near Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.Civic, Realized , Construction completed in Nov. 1995Client:Edward James FoundationC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, John Hewitt, students from "The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture", students from Portsmouth UniversityContractor:Center for Environmetal Structure, as Management Contractor and General Contractor of record, with John Hewitt as Project ManagerProject stages:Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. control InnovativThe West Dean Center is a simple one-story masonry building with a large red-tiled roof and intricate brickwork for its thick walls. The building is surrounded by gardens, and its south facing wall has large arched windows overlooking the garden ...
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George House
1997 to
1998
Pleasant Hill, CA, U.S.A.Residential, Realized , Construction completed in 1998Client:Mr. & Mrs. Brian and Xilin GeorgeC.E.S. staff:Christopher Alexander, Randall SchmidtHouse and cottage with large outdoor terraces with custom concrete walls.
SEE ALL Projects
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Music Cabinet
1981
Personal Work of Art, WoodworkingCreated by:Christopher AlexanderBlue painted wooden cabinet for Pamela Alexander, for her music scores and books.
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Yellow Blossoms, painting
1987
Personal Work of Art, PaintingCreated by:Christopher AlexanderOil painting on wooden panel.
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Cargo Ship in the Port of Oakland, painting
1991
Personal Work of Art, PaintingCreated by:Christopher AlexanderOil painting on wooden panel, 9"x12".
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Anemones in black & white background, painting
1993
Personal Work of Art, PaintingCreated by:Christopher AlexanderWatercolor painting.
SEE ALL Works of Art
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Linz Café: "Aperiodic" grid of the timber post and beam structural frame
1980
Construction System, Timber FrameworkCreated by:Christopher AlexanderPost and beam structural system which fits the structure of the spaces initially conceived, and is based on a structural grid with differentiated spacing of the grid lines in both directions, long and short, keeping the variations regular. The use ...
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Sapporo Apartment Building: Structural order in the concrete-encased steel load bearing structure
1982
Construction System, Steel StructureCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Gary BlackThis innovative structural scheme arose from the careful unfolding of the design with respect to user requirements, the impact of surrounding buildings, coupled with the fact that there was an untouchable small clinic on the site which had to be ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Homeroom buildings wall mockups for testing ornaments
1983
Building Detail, Wall TreatmentCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim NeisWall mockups with concrete block, white plaster, black plaster, green plaster, wood, stone in different proportions.
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Eishin Campus - High School: Great Hall interior colored plasterwork
1985
Work of Art for Project, Hand-painted InteriorCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Miyoko Tsutsui, Ishiguro-sanBlack, red, grey, purple and pale green interior plasterwork to cover 40.000 sq. ft of hand etched plasterwork for columns and beams, screen, walls and ceilings for the interior of the Great Hall.
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Eishin Campus - High School: College Buildings structural design of flat ceiling beams in large classrooms, within the aperiodic structural grid of the building
1985
Construction System, Reinforced ConcreteCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim Neis, Artemis Anninou, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingThe ceiling designed with massive concrete crossbeams at first to cope with the wide span, and a horizontal mat of wide and flat beams in close spacing, acting as a horizontal moment-resisting diaphragm, provides resistence to horizontal forces caused by ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: College Buildings structural design of columns and flat ceiling beams in ground floor arcades, within the aperiodic structural grid of the building
1985
Construction System, Reinforced ConcreteCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Gary Black, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis AnninouThe design of the massive columns along the College Building arcades was not sufficient to take all the moment of the vertical shear forces coming down the outside wall of the building, and then transferring through the ceiling into the ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: College Buildings & the aperiodic structural grid
1985
Construction System, Reinforced ConcreteCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Gary Black, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis AnninouThe spatial and dimensional requirements of the large classrooms on the first floor, the long arcades on the ground floor, and the entrance volume led to an asymmetrical division of spaces to accomodate the differentiated shapes and sizes. The two ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Central Hall massive concrete piers
1985
Construction System, Heavy Timber Load Bearing Structure, Reinforced ConcrteCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim NeisFour-feet thick concrete base walls with arched openings create an alternating repetition between massive piers and deep openings, with positive space and good shape both on the piers and the arches. Arches and seats form alcoves, and the piers support ...
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Eishin Campus - High School: Great Hall lighting fixtures
1986
Work of Art for Project, Lighting FixtureCreated by:Christopher AlexanderDesign, fabrication and installation of the lights of the Great Hall. A single row of hanging lights down the middle of the nave. Each light fixture is a circle of lights, hanging from a point, in the form of candelabras ...
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Herman Miller New Office Furniture System: Flat files
1988
Work of Art for Project, Office Furniture PrototypeCreated by:Christopher AlexanderUnique system of flat files, for easily visible storage of files, papers, manuscripts, and other flat items. All open for easily inspection. Enamelled or lacquered wood. It is a more developed version of the Mucic Cabinet piece of furniture built ...
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Julian Street Inn - Shelter for the Homeless: Exterior wall cladding with hand-painted and hand-glazed tilework
1988
Work of Art for Project, Hand-glazed TileworkCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Kleoniki Tsotropoulou4.500 hand-glazed grey tiles with hand-drawn geometric pattern, on reddish Mexican body tiles, for cladding the second floor exterior walls of the Julian Street Inn.
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Tokyo International Forum: Giant Vierendeel trusses in the Convention Hall
1989
Construction System, Steel StructureCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Artemis Anninou, Hansjoachim Neis, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Eleni Coromvli, Gary Black, Annie der BedrossianPrecast Vierendeel box beams, six meters deep, spanning 50 meters at a height of 20 metters. The beams are pierced by huge chrysanthemum-shaped voids, which are illuminated.
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Upham House: Concrete wall shape and detailing
1990
Construction System, Structural WallCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall Schmidt, Gary Black, James Maguire, Carl LindbergThe main structural wall of the house, details of the technique, shape and figure were developed from the mockups for the wall construction elements. A detailed, full-size cardboard mockup of a complete bay of the wall was built on site, ...
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Upham House: Interior plasterwork early experiments
1990
Work of Art for Project, OrnamentCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall SchmidtEarly experiments for exploring possibilities of making flowers and other simple reliefs in plaster and trying casting techniques. Refiefs were made by gluing cardboard and balsa wood surfaces. These early experiments were the basis for the development of the plaster ...
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Upham House: Hand-made, painted and glazed lily tiles
1991
Work of Art for Project, Hand-made TileworkCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall Schmidt, Lizabeth ChesterLow relief clay tiles produced from the plaster mold of the first successful original tile; four different variations of color combinations were tested on the site. The ones embedded in the stem wall of the foundation were the yellow lily ...
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Upham House: Concrete frieze
1992
Work of Art for Project, OrnamentCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall SchmidtConcrete wall frieze with star octagon repetitive design; chosen after testing it against the alternative lily frieze design and finalized after mockups of different size octagons.
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Upham House: Kitchen fireplace shape
1992
Building Detail, Room ShapingCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall SchmidtThe positioning of a kitchen fireplace, to function mainly as an oven, in the corner of an L-shaped kitchen, and its shaping as a cylinder, resolves the problems of the room; extensive work with cardboard mockups were used for finalizing ...
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Upham House: Interior plasterwork for the living room
1992
Work of Art for Project, OrnamentCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall SchmidtPlaster patterned strips with geometric miniature basketweave design in low relief, cast from a mold made in balsa wood, installed in the living room in two locations: Vertical patterned strips on the walls, above waist height, about 4 or 5 ...
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Upham House: Colored terrazzo poured floor
1992
Work of Art for Project, Terrazzo WorkCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall Schmidt, Shawn BradburyTerrazzo floor for the house kitchen, in red, yellow and green triangles; full size painted mockups were made to check the colors in position.
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Upham House: Window openings and windows details
1992
Building Detail, Window ShapingCreated by:Christopher AlexanderThe detailed design of the windows, namely the arrangement of lights, mullions and glazing bars for each window and door, was concluded after it was made clear that the big living room windows formed a kind of anchor point. The ...
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West Dean College Gardens Visitor's Center: Exterior wall with exposed herringbone brick pattern, alternating with exposed concrete bands and grey flint stones
1994
Building Detail, Wall TreatmentCreated by:Christopher Alexander, John HewittThe exposed surface of the perimeter thick wall is made of a combination of red bricks, exposed concrete and flint stones. there are several patterns of alternating repetition, the predominant one being the alteration between concrete bands and the herringbone ...
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George House: Exterior staircase ballustrade with ornament
1998
Work of Art for Project, OrnamentCreated by:Christopher Alexander, Randall SchmidtExterior staircase solid wall made out of concrete blocks with precat concrete ballustrade with ornamental cut-outs.
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Advanced Graduate Seminar on Theory of Urban Design
1979
Academic,University Program:Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Graduate SeminarCourse number:Arch. 207Instructors:Christopher Alexander, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingEnrolled students:Artemis Anninou, Shohreh Daemi, Hermann Diederich, Ramzi Kawar, Hye Myoung Kim, Leslie Moldow, Hansjoachim NeisFocus on the Centering Process, Visions, Financing problems, etc.
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Advanced Topics on Geometry and Wholeness
1980
Academic,University Program:Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Graduate SeminarCourse number:Arch. 207Instructors:Christopher AlexanderEnrolled students:Artemis Anninou, Hansjoachim Neis, Nili PortugaliTopics studied: 1) How to generate and attain wholeness; 2) Definiton of “whole”; 3) Centering process; 4) Simplicity seeking process and not-separateness; 5) Geometric properties.
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Advanced Topics on Geometry - Special Problems
1980
Academic,University Program:Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Graduate SeminarCourse number:Arch. 207Instructors:Christopher AlexanderEnrolled students:Artemis Anninou, Walt Holmes, Hiroshi Nanako, Hansjoachim Neis, Nili Portugali, Bob Randolph, Ralf WeberOn Unbroken Wholeness: eleven week seminar on the Centering Process and the Geometric Properties.
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Introduction to Geometry: Properties of Form
1981
Academic,University Program:Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Graduate Design StudioCourse number:Arch. 201Instructors:Christopher Alexander, Ingrid Fiksdahl-KingTen theoretical topics accompanied by ten separate design problems, each lasting one week; results of student’s work to be submitted weekly on a single 20×30 board. The calendar of topics as presented was: 1) Order; 2) Mirror of the Self; ...
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Design studio on "The Nature of Order"
1983
Academic,University Program:Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Graduate Design StudioCourse number:Arch. 201/203Instructors:Christopher AlexanderEnrolled students:Gregory C. Tung, Wei-jen Yang, Michael Robinette, Stuart MacDonald, Carl Sanders, Gunnar Johann Brinck, Tom Carnegie, Jerri HolanThe focus of the studio was on “The Nature of Order”, at that time being a draft in one volume. Christopher Alexander distributed a xerox copy of his book manuscript to the students, for sharing with them his views on ...
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Building Process Area of Emphasis: Series of lectures on "The Nature of Order" - Foundations of Architecture
1991
Academic,University Program:Bachelor of Architecture, Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Lecture CourseCourse number:Arch. 160Instructors:Christopher Alexander, Hansjoachim Neis, Yodan RofeLecture course for both graduate and undergraduate students. Twenty-four lectures to determine the foundation of all architecture, both on a theoretical and practical level. The intent of the course was to define the basic structure needed by any environment, which ...
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Building Process Area of Emphasis: Series of lectures on "The Nature of Order" - Foundations of Architecture
1992
Academic,University Program:Bachelor of Architecture, Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Lecture CourseCourse number:Arch. 160Instructors:Christopher Alexander, Yodan Rofe, James MaguireLecture course for both graduate and undergraduate students. Twenty-four lectures to determine the foundation of all architecture, both on a theoretical and practical level. The intent of the course was to define the basic structure needed by any environment, which ...
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Building Process Area of Emphasis: The Nature of Order - An Introduction to the Design and Building Process
1999
Academic,University Program:Master of ArchitectureCourse type:Lecture CourseCourse number:Arch. 160Instructors:Hansjoachim NeisLecture class for both graduate and undergraduate students, to provide students with a complete underpinning for the theory and practice of architecture. The intent of the course was to define the basic structure needed by any environment, which supports ...
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