A Pattern Language Controversy
While in school, designers learn a lot of varying rules and regulations, but we don’t often get exposed to the more radical and controversial ideas. Instead, we reflect briefly on what was socially accepted from the past, yet mainly focus on the new designs. For this reason, A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander should be required reading for all environmental design students. This book shows a brand-new point of view, as well as forces students to truly think about what they read, which can spark inspiration in students. This types of exposure can lead to students making something great in the future.
Having the exposure to a completely new point of view is vital for students, allowing them the chance to form an opinion about different topics of design. Within Pattern Language, Alexander talks about “timeless ways of building” and believes that “new ideas are almost never going to as good as ideas that have evolved over centuries of… building” . In Saunders …show more content…
Students “can be entertained [by Alexander’s] ideas… But no one has to obey his rules.” It is a student’s responsibility to realize that “Alexander’s… imagination and affect were not always… like everyone else’s.” But, even though Alexander may have written some radical content, “A Pattern Language is [still] imaginative, lively, spontaneous, and abundant,” which is perfect grounds for the beginnings of new ideas. If the actual ideas and rules within this book are ignored and those reading read between the lines, they should be able to get into the mind of the writer and figure out why he said what he said. Student’s should be able to read this ‘out there’ book, and realize that, even though the writer was very extreme, there is some actual useful ideas within it that will, perhaps, lead them to being the next ‘out-there’
While in school, designers learn a lot of varying rules and regulations, but we don’t often get exposed to the more radical and controversial ideas. Instead, we reflect briefly on what was socially accepted from the past, yet mainly focus on the new designs. For this reason, A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander should be required reading for all environmental design students. This book shows a brand-new point of view, as well as forces students to truly think about what they read, which can spark inspiration in students. This types of exposure can lead to students making something great in the future.
Having the exposure to a completely new point of view is vital for students, allowing them the chance to form an opinion about different topics of design. Within Pattern Language, Alexander talks about “timeless ways of building” and believes that “new ideas are almost never going to as good as ideas that have evolved over centuries of… building” . In Saunders …show more content…
Students “can be entertained [by Alexander’s] ideas… But no one has to obey his rules.” It is a student’s responsibility to realize that “Alexander’s… imagination and affect were not always… like everyone else’s.” But, even though Alexander may have written some radical content, “A Pattern Language is [still] imaginative, lively, spontaneous, and abundant,” which is perfect grounds for the beginnings of new ideas. If the actual ideas and rules within this book are ignored and those reading read between the lines, they should be able to get into the mind of the writer and figure out why he said what he said. Student’s should be able to read this ‘out there’ book, and realize that, even though the writer was very extreme, there is some actual useful ideas within it that will, perhaps, lead them to being the next ‘out-there’