15 Christopher Alexander Quotes for You to Enjoy

Christopher Alexander

American Architect

Born: Oct 4, 1936

Life Nature Whole Will Work You

Related authors: Frank Gehry Frank Lloyd Wright Louis Kahn Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Maya Lin Neri Oxman Philip Johnson Thom Mayne

This is a fundamental view of the world. It says that when you build a thing you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must repair the world around it, and within it, so that the larger world at that one place becomes more coherent, and more whole; and the thing which you make takes its place in the web of nature, as you make it. Christopher Alexander

Nature You World Build Isolation Says Must Web More Takes Merely Make Within Around Becomes Repair Cannot Place Which View Whole Fundamental Larger Thing Coherent

Speaking as a builder, if you start something, you must have a vision of the thing which arises from your instinct about preserving and enhancing what is there... If you're working correctly, the feeling doesn't wander about. Christopher Alexander

You Vision Feeling Preserving Correctly Must About Something Arises Instinct Builder Wander Which Working Your Speaking Enhancing Thing Start

I believe that all centers that appear in space - whether they originate in biology, in physical forces, in pure geometry, in color - are alike simply in that they all animate space. It is this animated space that has its functional effect upon the world, that determines the way things work, that governs the presence of harmony and life. Christopher Alexander

Life Work World Space Pure Believe Biology Harmony Way Alike Physical Determines Color Animate Animated Simply Forces Geometry Effect Governs Whether Centers Appear Functional Originate Things Presence

Complexity is one of the great problems in environmental design. Christopher Alexander

Environmental Great Problems Design Complexity

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

Beautiful Great You Yourself Will Trees Our Way Alive Ancient Possible See Following Faces Except Lead Feel Towns Beautiful Places Hills Looks Make Buildings Where Anyone Form Which Places Themselves Who

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. Christopher Alexander

Today Home Great Man People Old Made Building Past Way Thousand Thousand Years Temples Feels Buildings Always Traditional Were Been Years Timeless Very Close Same Center Which Who Villages Ever

When you make something, cleaning it out of structural debris is one of the most vital things you do. Christopher Alexander

You Cleaning Out Vital Something Structural Most Make Debris Things

In short, no pattern is an isolated entity. Each pattern can exist in the world only to the extent that is supported by other patterns: the larger patterns in which it is embedded, the patterns of the same size that surround it, and the smaller patterns which are embedded in it. Christopher Alexander

World Other Embedded Only Entity Smaller Supported Isolated Exist Surround Same Short Size Which Pattern Patterns Each Larger Extent

Images in the 20th century had a unique power where image became divorced from reality, and often more important than reality... Buildings were judged - at least by members of our own profession - more by the way they looked in magazines than by the satisfaction people felt when using them. Christopher Alexander

Reality People Power Important Own Our Way Members Magazines More Had Divorced Looked Judged Became Felt Buildings Least Were Than Often Where Them Century Profession Unique Using Satisfaction Image Images

To seek the timeless way we must first know the quality without a name. There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit in a man, a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named. Christopher Alexander

Life Man Quality First Building Wilderness Way Criterion Must Seek Spirit Objective Name Named Town Know Without Timeless Precise Cannot Which Central Root

I mean, making simulations of what you're going to build is tremendously useful if you can get feedback from them that will tell you where you've gone wrong and what you can do about it. Christopher Alexander

You Feedback Will Build Gone Tremendously Tell About Wrong Making Get Going Where Mean Them Useful

Christopher Alexander Quotes

No more Christopher Alexander quotes