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. The Timeless More...

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 patterns of More...

If you want inspiration, want guidance on how to move from a nihilist perspective on life into a place of positive statements, this book may lead you there. -- I know, I know it's about architecture and building, but really, if you just let go of those hard boundaries you have set up in your head, you may find that this book gives you spiritual guidance on how to live and be, how to make life and become more yourself. You may find that as you read this you discover energy to make a meal, sew a q More...

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 More...

Awesome. Thought-provoking. Timeless.

I got interested in this book after attending a software development patterns training, which refered to it as a source of the concept of design patterns. Though the book itself has nothing to do with software development it goes so deep into architectural patterns analysis and pattern language for architects that it can be applied universally across many disciplines.

But even usefulness of patterns aside, Christopher Alexander's vision of the future buildings More...

The book that came before "A Pattern Language", which inspired design patterns within computer science. It is a brilliantly written book - you can read it two ways. Also very thought provoking about patterns in nature and how they reinforce or push away activities, life, and vibrancy. (Also got here from the Book of Lenses).

The discussion of space patterns and how the design of a space influences what occurs in that space is fascinating, and if you plan to create a world based game there are cer More...

The pictures in this book, the prose style, everything works together to contribute a sense toward the timelessness that he talks about, the "quality without a name"... it's a very Zen book, or perhaps Daoist actually, and in many ways it comes across as a philosophy of life, not just a philosophy of building. Which I like--connections between things.

The companion volume is A Pattern Language, which has all the juicy details of how to build things better.

I took almost a hundred pictures with my More...

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 lives, is the central search of a More...

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 is co More...

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 their place More...

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.

A step-by-step look at how we can create buildings, spaces and towns that are more alive. My favorite sections were at the beginning of the book where Alexander was more philosophical: his definition of the "aliveness" of a space and of what characteristics of buildings engender that feeling. The philosophical asides throughout the book were great and applicable to much more than just building. The least interesting parts were where he got very concrete - I wonder if that means I won't enjoy the More...

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.

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 rooms with rocks.
To the tent made by throwing a More...

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.

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 ideas expoun More...

Chistopher's very own design methodology. In contrast of problem solving methodology it uses the unique methods to design...i.e bases on Pattern Language which is somewhat more interactive from the Beginning of design ....I tried practically and output is what is promises....

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.

Mandatory reading for the imaginary "Introduction to Planning History and Theory" class that I keep re-constructing in my head. (good for the eager novice, but should be coupled with equally compelling and wildly different theories to prevent idolization).

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.

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 form a who More...

This book and its companion volumes changed the way my wife went about design and architecture. For as long as I have known her (17 years), she has created spaces that make you "feel" a certain way when you're in them. This way you feel can be elicited only when the spaces created have the "quality without a name." This quality is achieved only when the designer is egoless.

Some practical people who disdain thinking too long about any one thing might find this book frustrating. Yet, as Alexander More...

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.

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.

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.

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!

I haven't read this for some time, but I wonder how The Timeless Way of Building would have survived the Christchurch earthquakes.

different style of writing - there are two tracks you can read that are interwoven. One track is condensed, the other more detailed.

If you are interested in how the way we build our spaces influence our daily lives, this is a good book to read.

The original 'patterns' book, this classic teaches how to move past the surface and think about building.