- - The original note follows - -
Path: psuvm!news.cac.psu.edu!newsserver.jvnc.net!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!
umn.edu!gaia.ucs.orst.edu!flop.ENGR.ORST.EDU!jade.CS.ORST.EDU!crowl
From: crowl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Lawrence Crowl)
Newsgroups: alt.architecture
Subject: Re: book suggestions
Date: 9 Sep 1993 19:24:20 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, Oregon State University
Lines: 54
Message-ID: <26nvt4INNhip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
References: <26gi1aINN7nn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> <54163@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
NNTP-Posting-Host: jade.cs.orst.edu
In article <54163@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
bowdidge@xxxxxxxxxxx (Robert Bowdidge) writes:
>Alexander, Christopher.
> A pattern language : towns, buildings, construction / Christopher
> Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein, with Max Jacobson, Ingrid
> Fiksdahl-King, Shlomo Angel. New York : Oxford University Press, 1977.
>
>This is a wonderful book intended to help a person design and build a
>livable house. It relies on a set of patterns/rules which seem to
>promote a good living environment. ... The patterns are
>meant to be a set of rules that a designer usually has internally
>-- in a companion volume, the author mentions that every architect/
>designer has common ideas and rules that are used in the building.
_A_Pattern_Language_ is the second volume of a series, with
_The_Timeless_Way_of_Building_ first and _The_Oregon_Experiment_
third. The first volume lays out the authors' philosophy of
architectural design by patterns and provides supporting evidence. The
second volume lists hundreds of specific patterns with justification,
commentary, and crossreferencing. The third volume describes the
application of their philosophy to construction of a new building at
the University of Oregon.
While I pretty much agree with most of the first volume, I found its
tone very much like a prescriptive religious text. I recommend that
you don't buy it. However, check it out of the library and read it.
You'll grit your teeth, but it is good for you and will help you
understand the second volume.
The second volume is indeed wonderful. Most of the patterns seem so
_right_ that I would want to see explicit justification from an
architect for _not_ following the patterns. I bought a copy of this
book, and I am quite glad I did.
Many of the patterns in this book are well within the control of the
average homeowner. Other patterns require substantial political change
and should be carefully considered by voters and public policy makers.
This is not a book for just architects, but a book for "everyman".
I haven't read the third volume, but I seem to remember that it only
describes the design, and didn't wait to evaluate the design after a
few years of use.
>In the design of computer programs, some have referred to these
>patterns as "cliches" -- design elements that are larger than
>programming language statements (the lowest level building blocks)
>that a programmer uses without thinking of its internals.
Good analogy.
--
Lawrence Crowl 503-737-2554 Computer Science Department
crowl@xxxxxxxxxxx Oregon State University
...!hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!crowl Corvallis, Oregon, 97331-3202
Path: psuvm!news.cac.psu.edu!newsserver.jvnc.net!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!
umn.edu!gaia.ucs.orst.edu!flop.ENGR.ORST.EDU!jade.CS.ORST.EDU!crowl
From: crowl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Lawrence Crowl)
Newsgroups: alt.architecture
Subject: Re: book suggestions
Date: 9 Sep 1993 19:24:20 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, Oregon State University
Lines: 54
Message-ID: <26nvt4INNhip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
References: <26gi1aINN7nn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> <54163@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
NNTP-Posting-Host: jade.cs.orst.edu
In article <54163@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
bowdidge@xxxxxxxxxxx (Robert Bowdidge) writes:
>Alexander, Christopher.
> A pattern language : towns, buildings, construction / Christopher
> Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein, with Max Jacobson, Ingrid
> Fiksdahl-King, Shlomo Angel. New York : Oxford University Press, 1977.
>
>This is a wonderful book intended to help a person design and build a
>livable house. It relies on a set of patterns/rules which seem to
>promote a good living environment. ... The patterns are
>meant to be a set of rules that a designer usually has internally
>-- in a companion volume, the author mentions that every architect/
>designer has common ideas and rules that are used in the building.
_A_Pattern_Language_ is the second volume of a series, with
_The_Timeless_Way_of_Building_ first and _The_Oregon_Experiment_
third. The first volume lays out the authors' philosophy of
architectural design by patterns and provides supporting evidence. The
second volume lists hundreds of specific patterns with justification,
commentary, and crossreferencing. The third volume describes the
application of their philosophy to construction of a new building at
the University of Oregon.
While I pretty much agree with most of the first volume, I found its
tone very much like a prescriptive religious text. I recommend that
you don't buy it. However, check it out of the library and read it.
You'll grit your teeth, but it is good for you and will help you
understand the second volume.
The second volume is indeed wonderful. Most of the patterns seem so
_right_ that I would want to see explicit justification from an
architect for _not_ following the patterns. I bought a copy of this
book, and I am quite glad I did.
Many of the patterns in this book are well within the control of the
average homeowner. Other patterns require substantial political change
and should be carefully considered by voters and public policy makers.
This is not a book for just architects, but a book for "everyman".
I haven't read the third volume, but I seem to remember that it only
describes the design, and didn't wait to evaluate the design after a
few years of use.
>In the design of computer programs, some have referred to these
>patterns as "cliches" -- design elements that are larger than
>programming language statements (the lowest level building blocks)
>that a programmer uses without thinking of its internals.
Good analogy.
--
Lawrence Crowl 503-737-2554 Computer Science Department
crowl@xxxxxxxxxxx Oregon State University
...!hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!crowl Corvallis, Oregon, 97331-3202