Bronx Multi-Service Center

1968 to 1973
Hunts Point, Bronx, NY, U.S.A.
Civic, Realized , Schematic Design was completed in 1968
An early study of the use of pattern language in community designed buildings. The Bronx Multi-Service Center is one of the eight centers included in the book "A Pattern Language Which Generates Multi-Service Centers", and presents a prototype for these buildings. A multi-service center being a community facility, was intended to provide a variety of special facilities to citizens, and to solve some of the problems of low income communities. The design of the prototype multi-service center was based on a system of generating principles, which could be transformed according to local circumstances, but which never fail to convey the essentails. This was developed as a system of patterns with rules for combining them, being one of the first pattern languages specific to a type of building, developed by C.E.S. These first patterns contributed, among others to the development of "A Pattern Language", published in 1977.
Client:
New York City Human Resourses Administaration, Hunts Point Community in the Bronx
C.E.S. staff:
Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein, Sanford Hirshen, Sim Van der Ryn
Contractor:
Built by others
Project stages:
Pattern language for the project by C.E.S. Concept design
References
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