A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series)
by: Christopher Alexander
List Price: $65.00
Prices subject to change.
Price: $40.95
You Save: $24.05 (37%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Amazon.com Review:
The second of three books published by the Center forEnvironmental Structure to provide a "working alternative to ourpresent ideas about architecture, building, and planning," APattern Language offers a practical language for building andplanning based on natural considerations. The reader is given anoverview of some 250 patterns that are the units of this language,each consisting of a design problem, discussion, illustration, andsolution. By understanding recurrent design problems in ourenvironment, readers can identify extant patterns in their own designprojects and use these patterns to create a language of theirown. Extraordinarily thorough, coherent, and accessible, this book hasbecome a bible for homebuilders, contractors, and developers who careabout creating healthy, high-level design.
Product Description:
"Brilliant....Here's how to design or redesign any space you're living or working in--from metropolis to room. Consider what you want to happen in the space, and then page through this book.Its radically conservative observations will spark, enhance, organize your best ideas, and a wondrous home, workplace, town will result"--San Francisco Chronicle. This classic handbook presents a language which ordinary people can use to express themselves in their own communities or homes, and to better communicate with each other.
The second of three books published by the Center forEnvironmental Structure to provide a "working alternative to ourpresent ideas about architecture, building, and planning," APattern Language offers a practical language for building andplanning based on natural considerations. The reader is given anoverview of some 250 patterns that are the units of this language,each consisting of a design problem, discussion, illustration, andsolution. By understanding recurrent design problems in ourenvironment, readers can identify extant patterns in their own designprojects and use these patterns to create a language of theirown. Extraordinarily thorough, coherent, and accessible, this book hasbecome a bible for homebuilders, contractors, and developers who careabout creating healthy, high-level design.
Product Description:
"Brilliant....Here's how to design or redesign any space you're living or working in--from metropolis to room. Consider what you want to happen in the space, and then page through this book.Its radically conservative observations will spark, enhance, organize your best ideas, and a wondrous home, workplace, town will result"--San Francisco Chronicle. This classic handbook presents a language which ordinary people can use to express themselves in their own communities or homes, and to better communicate with each other.
Alternate Versions:
Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category:
- Books » Specialty Stores » Custom Stores » Amazon Upgrade » All Amazon Upgrade
- Books » Specialty Stores » Custom Stores » Amazon Upgrade » Nonfiction
- Books » Specialty Stores » Custom Stores » Amazon Upgrade » Professional & Technical
- Books » Specialty Stores » Custom Stores » New & Used Textbooks » Humanities » Architecture
- Books » Specialty Stores » Custom Stores » New & Used Textbooks » General AAS
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- This is not an end all to architectural problems.
If you think this book will make you a designer well you are wrong.It is a great piece in the myriad of books on architectural theory and certainly a good read.However, this book is intended for architects and urban planners to read and to use as a reference. If you are not one of these people or even if you are, do not think that this is the only valid book by which to base your designs.Also this is not the greatest book on architecture ever written.If you think so then you have not read ... Read More
Rating: - no problems
my purchase arrived when it was supposed to, and was exactly what i ordered (quality and edition).No problems.
Rating: 
- surprisingly religious..... interesting, but not believable
I bought this book after reading the glowing reviews on amazon.It was also an inspiration for Will Wright to make SimCity and the SIMS..... so I had high expectations.
I was shocked to find how opinionated and philosophical the book is.I expected the book to look at the history of cities, towns, etc. and describe patterns that already exist (much like the GoF's software design patterns book talks about patterns that people actually use).Instead the book presents a series of ideals ... Read More
Rating: - Healing Our Industrial Age
Time has not eroded the significance of this book's contribution to the world of architecture. Though it reaches back to timeless solutions to architectural problems, it is also a way forward. As we devour our social capital in a half century of indiscriminate urban sprawl, this book offers alternatives that will help us revitalize our urban centers.
Rating: - Wonderful!
This book is the quintessential book on the subject of creating authentic living spaces.
This book provides a near mystical approach to architecture in a very simplistic form that anyone can understand.
- This is not an end all to architectural problems.If you think this book will make you a designer well you are wrong.It is a great piece in the myriad of books on architectural theory and certainly a good read.However, this book is intended for architects and urban planners to read and to use as a reference. If you are not one of these people or even if you are, do not think that this is the only valid book by which to base your designs.Also this is not the greatest book on architecture ever written.If you think so then you have not read ... Read More
- no problemsmy purchase arrived when it was supposed to, and was exactly what i ordered (quality and edition).No problems.
- surprisingly religious..... interesting, but not believableI bought this book after reading the glowing reviews on amazon.It was also an inspiration for Will Wright to make SimCity and the SIMS..... so I had high expectations.
I was shocked to find how opinionated and philosophical the book is.I expected the book to look at the history of cities, towns, etc. and describe patterns that already exist (much like the GoF's software design patterns book talks about patterns that people actually use).Instead the book presents a series of ideals ... Read More
- Healing Our Industrial Age Time has not eroded the significance of this book's contribution to the world of architecture. Though it reaches back to timeless solutions to architectural problems, it is also a way forward. As we devour our social capital in a half century of indiscriminate urban sprawl, this book offers alternatives that will help us revitalize our urban centers.
- Wonderful!This book is the quintessential book on the subject of creating authentic living spaces.
This book provides a near mystical approach to architecture in a very simplistic form that anyone can understand.
