This week I want to write a little bit about an important figure in both architecture and permaculture who recently passed away – architect, urban planner, and author, Christopher Wolfgang Alexander. He died at the age of 85 on March 17, 2022. This tribute to Christopher Alexander is my way of saying “thank you” to a figure who had a great influence on my career and way of thinking.
Alexander’s philosophy on architecture, design, and nature was probably the single greatest influence on me throughout my entire architectural education.
Often when I felt unsettled about my chosen field, when it felt like I was in a sea of competition, bloated egos, and shiny yet lackluster buildings, Alexander’s writings brought joy and inspiration back to my work.
Christopher Alexander’s Design Philosophy
Alexander’s design philosophy (in my own words) was about using patterns in nature and human behavior to create built environments that feel right, and that have that spark of spirit or oneness.
It’s not something that’s easy to define or quantify, but a feeling you get when experiencing good design. Yet Alexander did define and quantify it, and he presented it in writing for others to learn.
Alexander wrote many books, but the two I own and repeatedly return to for inspiration are, “A Pattern Language,” and “The Phenomenon of Life,” which is the first of a four-volume set, “The Nature of Order.”
The sister book to “A Pattern Language” is “The Timeless Way of Building.” The following quote from it expresses Alexander’s design philosophy beautifully.
There is one timeless way of building. It is a thousand years old, and the same today as it has ever been. The great traditional buildings of the past, the villages and tents and temples in which man feels at home, have always been made by people who were very close to the center of this way. It is not possible to make great buildings, or great towns, beautiful places, places where you feel yourself, places where you feel alive, except by following this way. And, as you will see, this way will lead anyone who looks for it to buildings which are themselves as ancient in their form, as the trees and hills, and as our faces are.
Christopher Alexander, from “A Timeless Way of Building,” 1979
A Pattern Language
In “A Pattern Language,” Alexander lays out a series of patterns for the design of human environments. The book contains 253 patterns, from the broadest scale of towns, down to the smallest scale of architectural details.
These patterns are articulated by Alexander and his coauthors based on years of design work, study, and observation. The patterns are intended to be universal, and as a result, are not prescriptive or formulaic, but ring true as valuable design tools.
If my words are difficult to follow, an example of one of Alexander’s patterns may be helpful. One of my favorites is his pattern, “Positive Outdoor Space.”
The pattern, “Positive Outdoor Spaces,” describes how to create spaces outdoors that don’t feel “leftover,” but resemble exterior rooms. This isn’t a new concept, and it wasn’t new when Alexander codified the pattern. It’s a timeless approach to designing outdoor human environments that all good landscape architects use, whether they are aware of Alexander’s work or not.
New Urbanism
Alexander’s work was one of the ” biggest influences on the New Urbanism movement,” which attempted to recover control over our built environment after the urban sprawl that occurred post-WWII. New Urbanism is still active today.
Here’s an explanation of New Urbanism from the Congress for the New Urbanism Website:
New Urbanism is a planning and development approach based on the principles of how cities and towns had been built for the last several centuries: walkable blocks and streets, housing and shopping in close proximity, and accessible public spaces. In other words: New Urbanism focuses on human-scaled urban design.
Congress for the New Urbanism
Alexander’s Influence on Permaculture
It’s not surprising that Alexander’s work influenced permaculture originators Bill Mollison and David Holmgren immensely.
Many books, by many permaculture practitioners, reference Alexander’s work.
Holmgren’s book, “Retrosuburbia,” takes Alexander’s idea of patterns and applies it to urban permaculture design.
In the book “Edible Forest Gardens,” the authors (Eric Toensmeier and Dave Jacke) take it a step further than Holmgren, presenting the readers with actual patterns they’ve observed and developed specifically for forest gardens.
Alexander’s influence has truly been wide and profound. Even software design has been shaped by his ideas. The first wiki, on which Wikipedia is based was inspired by “A Pattern Language.”
With Alexander’s passing, the world has lost a brilliant mind. I’m grateful that I was introduced to his work because it has made me a better designer, and given me an understanding of nature and humanity that I wouldn’t otherwise have.
Thank you, Christopher Alexander. You have made this world a better place.
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