Cohousing-L Mailing List: CoHousing Architecture

[J . Massengale (J.Massengale]

>>With all this discussion of architecture, I'm curious: are there any
architects out there who follow at least some of the precepts of _A Pattern
Language_?

I think many good architects follow some of the precepts of *A Pattern
Language*. Speaking personally, I might even say that all good architects
follow some of the precepts.

But I also think it would be a much better book if it were a much smaller
book. Because although C. Alexander explicitly says the opposite, *A Pattern
Language* is often written as though it is *THE Pattern Language*. That is,
Alexander goes into very, very explicit details, and in those details he
often leaves rather universal principles and gets into his personal taste.
All written in such a way that the universal and the personal are
indistinguishable.

Personally, I think he's an intelligent, thoughtful man, but I wouldn't
really want to live in one of his buildings, because they're not to my taste.
And many buildings which I like very much contradict some of his ideas.

I've been involved in public participation designs in which people make
comments along the lines of, "No, those blue stripes should be purple polka
dots, Chris Alexander says so."