A singular multidisciplinary text that offers models for something like urban planning components of different scales and scope. Really an extremely interesting model of metadesign guidelines that are driven by humanist outcomes.

Anyone dealing with complex nultiscale systems and design should at least review the approach taken with this text.

Problems with the specifix approach are:
- overly culturally “western”
- many big decisions are made without detailed evidence
- there is an assumption of shared values that are not a given
- the book leaves open contextual problems that can emerge from bad application of these patterns

Extremely interesting text.. ( )

You may enjoy this quite technical manual if you are an architect, planner, builder, or otherwise want our private buildings to be improved. Otherwise it is a long and highly detailed manifesto of what a more deliberate take on building could be, and I can't guarantee that laypeople would enjoy it.

When I first started graduate studies in urban planning, the challenges of daylighting, shadows, and sun glare felt easy to handle. Best practices were well laid out and it seemed like a straightforward set of challenges. Of course, I quickly learned that the context of every site changed these considerations, and it was important to proceed with caution to work through them. This is a book that gives mostly timeless advice on these fronts and it was helpful for that purpose.

The downsides are a handful of claims that border on superstitions, chiefly the supposed negative mental health aspects of living in high-rise buildings. I don't know how ubiquitous this thought was at the time of publication, but it stands out as an odd idea within more solid recommendations. ( )

Finished A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein. For anyone interested in urban design, place making, or the design of interior spaces, this book is a must read, or at least a must skim.

A Pattern Language is a catalog of 253 patterns that cover everything from the layout of cities down to the layout of rooms. Some of the patterns have been criticized, particularly those dealing with the layout of cities and towns, but overall, the patterns provide a rich guide to what makes a place feel good.

Especially with regard to designing homes, A Pattern Language stands out from other books because it does not suggest one size sets all rules. A design can combine patterns in different ways depending on the specific constraints. No "look" or "style" defines a pattern built home. The authors consider some patterns fundamental enough that they should always be used (e.g. light on at least two sides of every room), but ultimately patterns define the essence of those factors which have made for good places across different eras, styles, and locales.

This book was pivotal in the design of my own home.

(Note: As of 18 Mar 2017, Dan is borrowing this)

(C04 Stadtkultur

not so much of a subway read as much as a reference tome for deconstructing what makes a space enjoyable. each section is organized from general to specific traits, and cross referenced with other compatible "patterns". Every pattern has a simple sketch, specific example and descriptive paragraph. delightful and imaginative, someone should really re-publish this in a more affordable package so that more young designers can learn from it. see also: Timeless Way of Building. ( )