Development of first Patterns and Pattern Languages
The first patterns were developed in 1967 by a group of people working together with Christopher Alexander in the Center for Environmental Structure. Between 1968 and 1976 the first pattern languages were developed and tested for particular projects undertaken by CES. Several of these projects were built during this period. The publication of 'A Pattern Language' followed in 1977.
Thoughts and Arguments Explored and Developed
Relationship of the “Notes on the Synthesis of Form” diagrams to patterns
Function and patterns
References
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A Pattern Language Which Generates Multi-Service Centers
1968
The first of Alexander’s early works published by the Center for Environmental Structure, notably the first pattern language for a project. It is presented as a system of generating principles, called a pattern language for multi-service centers. It includes 64 ...
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Houses Generated by Patterns
1969
The second of Alexander’s early works published by the Center for Environmental Structure, lays out the process of creating the pattern language for a group of houses designed for an experimental housing competition in Lima, Peru in 1969. It ...
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人間都市, A Human City
1970
“A Human City”, bilingual book, both in Japanese and English, includes the material which first appeared as an exhibit in the Theme Pavilion at the Osaka World’s Fair “Progress and Harmony for Mankind”, in 1970. The book concentrates on ten ...
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Bronx Multi-Service Center
1968 to
1973
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 ...
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Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations
1969 to
1970
Master 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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Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development (SWRL)
1969
Application of the early ideas of pattern language to the design of an educational research and development facility. The architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Architects (S.O.M.) asked C.E.S. to work with them on the schematic design of the SWRL ...
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Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Composite bamboo foam beams
1969
Boxed beams rectangular in section, 20 cm wide, 40 cm deep and 5 meters long, made of 6cm bamboos, placed over plywood templates, with a core of poly-urethane fire-retardant foam, foamed in place. The bamboos are pinned and spot glued ...
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Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Composite bamboo foam planks
1969
The 2nd floor and roof structure are bamboo/polyurethane foam sandwitch planks laid over beams. The outer skin of the planks are made of 6cm bamboos and the core is two lbs. density polyurethane. A sand-sulfur topping is poured after planks ...
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Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Interlocking concrete blocks for mortarless block wall
1969
Bearing walls, shear walls and ground floor partitions are cavity walls of interlocking, self-aligning concrete blocks, moulded on site. The block is self-supporting up to a height of three floors. Vertical edges, corners and horizontal upper edges are either poured ...
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Etna Street cottage: The students built a small house, while developing an experimental building system in which the construction patterns would be incorporated and tested
1974
The assignment of the class was to test the first construction patterns, before they were incorporated in “A Pattern Language” published in 1977. It was a building experiment, at the end of which the Etna Street cottage was built, experimenting ...
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People Rebuilding Berkeley
1974
Development of a planning process for the City of Berkeley in which individual neighborhoods had the responsibility for their own improvement through a process based on the use of patterns at a very local scale .
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People Rebuilding Berkeley
1974
Development of a planning process for the City of Berkeley in which individual neighborhoods had the responsibility for their own improvement through a process based on the use of patterns at a very local scale .
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American Institute of Architects Research Gold Medal
07/05/1972
The American Institute of Architects awarded to Christopher J. Alexander, professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, the 1972 Research Gold Medal. The first recepient of the award, in recognition of his contributions to “an increased understanding of ...
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"A Human City" exhibition in the Osaka Expo '70
15/03/1970 to
13/09/1970
C.E.S. was the only US architect invited to exhibit in the Japanese theme pavillon. C.E.S. participated with 80 panels which describe the character of a city of the future. The qualities of the city character were conveyed in the form ...
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A New Apartment Building for the Town of Trappes
07/01/1977 to
23/07/1977
The exhibit was aimed at informing the local authorities and at arousing the interest of potential participants in the apartment project. The exhibition was organized in four categories, the introductory text, the Paris apartment project, the Mexicali project and the ...
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Modesto Community Mental Health Center: Letter referring to the enclosure named "Incomplete Language of the Mental Health Centers", the work done on patterns and a notification that there is still work to be completed with an outline of that work and directions for moving forward
18/06/1970
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Canary Island: Preliminary description of twelve basic patterns for creating real and active communities all year round; to be discussed on meeting of 13-Oct-1973
07/10/1973
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Canary Island: Describes the work completed for phase one of contract; 1. The 45 Patterns; 2. The Plan, with nine categories of areas; 3. Phasing, with three examples; 4. The Ordinances
23/12/1973
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Pattern Language: Book early version
01/01/1967
Versions of early thoughts discussing concepts relating to the nature of a universal pattern language which would be able to create wholeness in the built environment. The Table of Contents lists the following chapters: 1) What is a Whole Environment: Wholeness ...
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The Oregon Experiment: Early book version
01/01/1973
149-pages unbound copy of an earlier draft version of the book. It includes foreword, introduction, 6 chapters and acknowledgements, and only code indications for the placement of the book illustrations.
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The Oregon Experiment - Volume 3: Book draft
01/01/1974
226-page semi bound copy of the book manuscript with illustrations, including Introduction, Chapter 1: Organic Order, Chapter 2: Participation, Chapter 3: Piecemeal Growth, Chapter 4: Patterns, Chapter 5: DIagnosis, Chapter 6: Coordination and Acknowledgments. “Volume 3” on its title ...
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The Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Preliminary Design Drawings - Floor Plans
01/01/1969
Two floor plans depicting the first and second floors of the large house type.
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The Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Preliminary Design Drawings - Floor Plans
01/01/1969
Two floor plans depicting the first and second floors of the small house type.
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The Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Preliminary Design Drawings - Floor Plans
01/01/1969
Two floor plans depicting the first and second floors of the generic house design.
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'Pattern Language Report'
01/09/1969
8-page report which explains what the phrase “pattern language” means, then discusses the book “A Pattern Language Which Generates Multi-Service Centers”, in light of this concept, and concludes with observations on the nature of environmental research.
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A Sublanguage of 70 Patterns for Multi-Service Centers
01/01/1968
Submitted to the Hunts Point Neighborhood Corporation, Hunts Point, Bronx, New York.
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Southwest Regional Laboratory: Patterns for an Educational Research and Development Facility
01/05/1969
Draft prepared for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Architects.
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"Buildings Surround Open Space" Pattern
01/04/1966
Early formulation of pattern on a 2-page format with: Title of Pattern, Photo, Statement of Problem, Solution, Diagram, Author/s, Date, revision Date and Notes; revised in 1970.
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"Visible Street Numbers" Pattern
01/01/1966
Early formulation of pattern on a 2-page format with: Title of Pattern, Photo, Statement of Problem, Solution, Diagram, Author/s, Date, revision Date and Notes. Revised in Sep-1970.
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"Density Rings" Pattern
01/01/1967
Early formulation of pattern on a 2-page format with: Title of Pattern, Photo, Statement of Problem, Solution, Diagram, Author/s, Date, revision Date and Notes; included in “A Pattern Language”, pattern #29 Density Rings. Revised in Dec-1970.
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The Peru Project - Low Cost Housing for the United Nations: Photographs of drawings
01/01/1969
Four photographs depicting: 1) The first and the second floor plans of the Generic House; 2) The first and the second floor plans of both the Large House and the Small House; 3) The Large House plans and 4) The ...
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Master Planning Process for the Town of Marsta: Photographs of presentation boards
01/01/1972
Fourteen images depicting the presentation boards which include the proposed planning process which allows the people of Marsta-Sigtuna to make all planning decisions for themselves. Organized on the basis of the 4 elements of the process: The Pattern Language, Diagnosis, ...
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Master Planning Process for the Town of Marsta - Neighborhoods: Photographs on design process
01/01/1972
Nine images of sketches depicting the process of organizing and laying out 350 houses in three distinct neighborhoods, involving various user groups. One user group determining the overall location of housing and its large-scale patterns, and three subgroups determining the ...
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