iThe Timeless Way of Building/i is the first in a series of books which describe an entirely new attitude to architecture and planning. The books a...
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Dec 21, 2009
Owen
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If I were to summarize this book in a single sentence, I would say that it applies taoist philosophy to architecture. However, that is not giving either this book or taoism the the attention they deserve.
The Timeless Way of Building describes a natural way of building. However, when I say this, I do not mean natural in terms of materials or aesthetics, or even neccisarily the methods of construction. But rather, in an aproach to design and building that creates living environments. More...
The Timeless Way of Building describes a natural way of building. However, when I say this, I do not mean natural in terms of materials or aesthetics, or even neccisarily the methods of construction. But rather, in an aproach to design and building that creates living environments. More...
Aug 27, 2009
Liz
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Perhaps it should have been called 'Zen and the Art of Building'.... I hadn't come across this book before, although I think it may be required reading for architecture students. Having come from a design background myself I found it interesting.
It's long winded and often waxes lyrical, but the basic premise states that buildings are not for enhancing the egos of architects, but instead, they are for the people who use and live in them. So far, so good. Alexander also reveals how the More...
It's long winded and often waxes lyrical, but the basic premise states that buildings are not for enhancing the egos of architects, but instead, they are for the people who use and live in them. So far, so good. Alexander also reveals how the More...
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Nov 30, 2011
Robert
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I found this book both wonderful and a bit frightening. The book is not a literary masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but the images it paints in the mind are quite beautiful in its discussion of what we use to be and what we've lost. As a designer, I find Alexander's proposed solution a bit scary as it reject contemporary architecture practices almost completely, even after 40 years of publication. But the ideas behind that rejection, about architecture being a common language and d
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Jan 13, 2009
Greenmtngirl
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Alexander's books are as much about community--what it is, what it might be in other times and places, what it could be--as they are about architecture. Here's one of my favorite passages from The Timeless Way of Building:
"There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit of [a person:], a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named.
The search which we make for this quality, in our own l More...
"There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit of [a person:], a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named.
The search which we make for this quality, in our own l More...
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Mar 22, 2011
Eric
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I would give this book 6 stars if possible. Christopher Alexander's approach to architecture is so natural and comforting. I don't doubt that the world would be very different if everyone fully embraced his approach, especially since, as he argues, it's the same approach that had been used for thousands of years until the past few decades. But the thing that I liked so much about this book is that his approach is broad enough to apply to other areas of life instead of just architecture. He i
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Dec 22, 2010
Ash
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This book is essential reading for anyone involved in making things for use by other human beings. Part Taoist philosophy of architecture, part systems thinking for the way people and the spaces they inhabit interact, it explains why some places are vibrant and alive, others decaying and dying. It's impossible to look at buildings and towns the same way after reading this.
Alexander's Design Patterns give a way to capture the knowledge about how parts of a system (building, town) take More...
Alexander's Design Patterns give a way to capture the knowledge about how parts of a system (building, town) take More...
Aug 23, 2010
ranjit
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This book could be made far more concise. It lays out an argument similar to that posed in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, that quality (in this case in architecture) is recognized when seen. It argues there are patterns that provide quality. While this book lays out some ideas as to what these patterns may be, they are apparently described in greater detail in a second larger volume. Therefore it's hard to evaluate this book without reading the other.
Apr 06, 2009
Jay
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This book is an amazing, Tao of Building. The beginning was a little esoteric, but sticking with it helped his later explanations of the pattern language. His amazing ability to observe patterns over many situations opened up a whole new way for me to look at places. His sense of how a place can develop organically is one I hope to incorporate into my house as we transform it.
Nov 17, 2007
Mary
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I've revered this book for several years and swooned over the photographs.
yet could never read very far into it before I gave up. But I finally gave it a
serious try, skipped over the awkward terminology, said "OK, lead on," and the
author did. The photos he chose do tell the story, but not the whole story as
you can get it all by slowing to his pace, listening, and pausing often for your
own side-trips. To the vacant lot where at 6 or 7 you outlined ro More...
yet could never read very far into it before I gave up. But I finally gave it a
serious try, skipped over the awkward terminology, said "OK, lead on," and the
author did. The photos he chose do tell the story, but not the whole story as
you can get it all by slowing to his pace, listening, and pausing often for your
own side-trips. To the vacant lot where at 6 or 7 you outlined ro More...
Jul 28, 2011
Michael
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This book describes all the elements and intricacies and pattern languages of structures, neighborhoods, cities, etc. Alexander does a great job showing the synchronization and balance between complexity theory, architectural and city-planning theory, and spiritual harmony by bringing existing conflicting forces into a peaceful equilibrium.
May 11, 2008
Maciek
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This is definitely a weird book, especially coming to it as a software engineer. This book was the inspiration for the software engineering classic "Design Patterns", and it's interesting considering Alexander's points in light of what it means for building software. Some analogies just break down completely, some fit quite nicely, and some fall somewhere in between and are intriguing to contemplate. The book itself is much more hand-wavy than I expected, but still written as if the id
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Apr 02, 2009
Eric
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One of my all-time favorite philosophy books. It has lots and lots of picturs and the unusual feature of a fast-track design that allows people to skim the book in a day. I read the whole book and it made me cry and changed the way I look at everything.
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Mar 02, 2009
Jennie
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Though I made fun of this book heartily in grad. school, it really has a lot of good stuff to say to people who design stuff. It's very worth reading if you are in any way responsible for deciding the look of anything, particularly buildings.
May 19, 2008
Elizabeth
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This is a wonderful book on architecture which doesn't concentrate on technical details or specific styles, but instead on a more organic, holistic approach to building - not in the currently popular "green" sense, but in the sense that buildings are best when they grow from the way people use them. The basic philosophy is based on patterns of use, and patterns that define parts of buildings, as the basic elements of architecture. It also talks about how patterns, once identified, can
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Jul 25, 2010
Michael
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Seminal work on patterns in architecture. What makes home designs work? Presents cultural, historical and philosophical perspectives. Reads like a philosophy book rather than a university textbook.
Apr 14, 2010
Ruth
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This book is very special--it makes architecture spiritual, and is useful for any sort of design, for instance, how we design our lives or how we think of our art.
Jan 25, 2011
Skimming so far (as recommended in the intro). Love the pictures, not sure how directly relevant it will end up being, but I'm still intrigued.
Jan 31, 2010
Scott
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This is a very important book for me. I read it regularly. Design and structure, and the development of systems that are alive. Great stuff!
Jun 03, 2010
different style of writing - there are two tracks you can read that are interwoven. One track is condensed, the other more detailed.
Jan 24, 2009
Rakshya
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If you are interested in how the way we build our spaces influence our daily lives, this is a good book to read.
Jan 07, 2009
Jeffrey
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The original 'patterns' book, this classic teaches how to move past the surface and think about building.
Jul 13, 2009
Nynke
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Read it a couple of times. 2003 was the last time. I keep being amazed at its simplicity. Love it!
Oct 01, 2007
Robert
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Poetic from beginning to end, this book was and remains a challenging, brave volume of architecture theory. If you are interested in a more rigorous treatment of this revolutionary architectural thought, The Nature of Order is Alexander's follow-up treatise after 30 years of work and study -- a nonconventional but ultimately scientific investigation of how matter comes together in our universe.
Dec 17, 2009
Andy
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While it is steeped in a bit of 70s mysticism, the core of the book which describes how building can be broken down into patterns and that the best patterns take into account the behavioral patterns that take place in a space is fascinating. This book has improved my own thinking about spacial relationships and given me a new method for examining structures from window places to cities.
Jul 09, 2010
Rich
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This book is really a combination of philosophy and aphorisms put together.
Each of the bites can be interesting and thought provoking, but the style is disjointed which made the reading a bit more difficult for me.
While I am not an architect I have a background in design (theatrical and gaming) and will be curious how this may effect me as I go on.
Each of the bites can be interesting and thought provoking, but the style is disjointed which made the reading a bit more difficult for me.
While I am not an architect I have a background in design (theatrical and gaming) and will be curious how this may effect me as I go on.
Oct 03, 2011
Chris
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If you're interested in architecture, systems design, cooperative creation, delegation of authority, or possibly procedural world building, you might like this. If you can't stand theory related to these subjects, then skip this book and read "A Pattern Language", which is an application of the ideas.
Nov 24, 2007
Lori
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If you like contemplating how our built environments affect us and vice-versa this is a book worth reading. Good for wanna-be architectue nerds. This book tries to describe what can make a building or space feel so magic, alive and good - or just the opposite. He lost me towards the end though.
