Towns Buildings Construction Buildings Towns a PATTERN LANGUAGE Christopher Alexander Sara Ishikawa Murray Silverstein Max Jacobson Ingrid Fiksdahl-King Shlomo Angel The pattern language APPENDING THE PATTERN think about it, might ask. IN WHAT SITUATION can I utilize this LANGUAGE way of thinking about architecture? Where I formulated the conclusions of my work as can I find precedents of this approach a polemics with Christopher Alexander’s ‘A being used? WHAT pattern language’, understanding his work can this thinking method be useful FOR? as a manual for architects, which encom- What goals does it allow to achieve? WHAT INSTRUMENTS passes a certain amount of knowledge that , actions and in- structions does this approach entail? Alexander and his co-workers managed to 3 accumulate and which is broadly known and applied by contemporary architects. This exercise has allowed me to situate the concepts, discoveries and tools which I have been using during this year in a con- text of current knowledge of architecture. It allowed me to find out what purposes can the gained knowledge serve. The below mentioned operating techniques can be applied both to buildings and out- door spaces. I have tried to give my conclusions a struc- ture similar to the structure of ‘A pattern language’. As my findings are in a great deal ways of thinking about architecture, I tried to answer three key questions, which Cover of ‘A pattern language‘. a person, who has to tackle a problem and Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79766.A_Pattern_ is trying to identify an appropriate way to Language (accessed: 24 June 2019). Thickening the threshold The pattern language 126.1 SOMETHING IN-BETWEEN - THRESHOLD 5 Pantheon, Rome Source: drawing by author. Thickening the threshold The pattern language of a threshold is articulated as merely a doorstep or a door. Once you have designed any two neigh- the exact extents of a threshold. This bouring public spaces you might want It is generally difficult to determine to design the transition between them. size of the threshold or the ambiguous This transition is broadly known as a naturedifficulty of isthe either transition caused between by the modest the threshold. threshold and the spaces it borders. 6 Threshold is a transition point between In what situation one realm and another. It is where the Thresholds are located inside buildings activity of transiting happens. Thresh- as transitions between inner spaces or olds usually consist of three compo- entry spaces: foyers, hallways. Court- obviously the two spaces which are as thresholds. neighbouringnents. The two each first other components and between are Thresholdsyards and cloisters can also can be distinguishedalso be identified which a division was raised. The key where an indoor space encounters an quality of a threshold is the thickness outdoor space. Such thresholds include of it, which is directly proportional porticos, porches, terraces, verandas to the size of the third component of and various walkways. the threshold. The third component is situated between the other two compo- Lastly thresholds can serve as transition nents and varies in size. It can have all zones between different areas in cities. characteristics of an autonomous space, These thresholds can be recognized in however it can also be reduced to an places where one urban space merges extent, when it almost disappears. In its with another. most reduced form the third component What for Thickening the threshold The pattern language Thresholds enable overcoming a bound- These tools entail formal, functional, ary. Thresholds allow to moderate the compositional, material and structural experience of transiting. Thresholds operations. can prepare the user for the space he is For transitional spaces refer to: about to enter or present the user with -> 34. Interchange a rapid change of environment. Thresh- olds can provide one with a feeling of -> 98. Circulation realm privacy, safety. Thresholds can take -> 101. Building throughfare part in maintaining a moderate indoor -> 112. Entrance transition climate. Thresholds often manage to 7 -> 114. Hierarchy of open space escape the rule of ownership as a result of which they are capable of being a -> 119. Arcades common meeting ground. -> 120. Paths and goals With what instruments Tools which allow to design a threshold move apart two spaces, they duplicate a space so that it can be read as an auton- omous space or, as a part of the two it connects. Some of the tools which allow to create a thick threshold are: -> 255. blurring -> 254. off-centering -> 257. incorporation through variety -> 256. punctuating space Thickening the threshold The pattern language 8 Portico Panteon, Rome Threshold. Source: drawing by author. Thickening the threshold The pattern language 98.1 LOITERING REALM / WALKING AIMLESSLY 11 Vida, Bogota, Boa Misura. Source: https://www.floornature.com/blog/boa-mistura-in-bogota-plaza-de-la-hoja-11041/ (accessed: 24 June 2019). Thickening the threshold The pattern language individuals. Loitering is remaining in a place for a long time, studying it, paying attention, It is a mark of success of a public space getting inspired. Loitering is an aimless such as a small public square(61), pe- activity. destrian street(100), park, building In what situation thoroughfare(101), public outdoor Any public space. room(69), building edge (160) if peo- 12 ple come there to do nothing else but to What for wonder around. Increasing the feeling of safety, provid- ‘Loitering is the act of remaining in a ing a common place of people to build particular public place for a protracted relations in, avoiding dominance of one time, without any apparent purpose.’1 In agent over a space, widening the ac- many countries loitering is seen as an cessible space in cities, broadening the act which precedes a criminal offence freedom of participation in public life. and is thus prohibited. The regulations With what instruments on loitering are enforced with the use of road signs, barricades, security camer- Loitering-friendly spaces invite every- as, fences, use of unpleasant surfaces one. If you wish to make the space which which warm up in sun, homeless-hostile you are designing loitering-friendly, architecture elements or presence of you should make sure that it permits police or security guards. In practice multiple ways of moving through the spaces, in which loitering is prohibited, space and multiple ways of staying in try to disperse people. They only permit the stay of a narrow group of authorized achieved if circulation is handled by the the space. The first aim can be best 1 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loiter- entire space or if the circulation routes ing) are organized in a network in which as Thickening the threshold The pattern language many as possible nodes are connected to terials in individually designed patterns, one another. murals, mosaiques. The second aim, providing multiple Loitering-friendly spaces are embedded ways of using a space, can be achieved with shelter elements. Shelter elements invite activities akin to loitering such as furniture do not belong to most common resting, sleeping. typologiesif forms used which for the are floor, immediately walls and rec - Loitering, being an aimless activity, is ognized by the user as serving a familiar well accompanied by nuclei of intense purpose. activity such as dining, drinking, shop- 13 A loitering-friendly space has the capa- ping. bility to energize the body of the user. For other improvised uses of public space refer to: space is similar to the way in which a This influence of the loitering-friendly -> 63. dancing in the street, action of a sports person. It gives one -> 58. carnival, thesport feeling equipment of vitality, expands of being the fieldalive. of -> 94. sleeping in public. One way to energize the body of the of For goal oriented uses of public spaces read: user can be imbalanced by dynamical- -> 124. activity pockets, lya person altering is the to imbalancehorizontal it. and Body vertical of the -> 241. seat spots. dimensions of space, complicating the route of a person passing through the vertical and horizontal planes, using space, tilting walls and floors from the Loitering -friendly space often uses ma- bending, ductile material for the floor. Thickening the threshold The pattern language 14 Loitering realm. Source: drawing by author. Thickening the threshold The pattern language 254. OFF-CENTRING 17 Røde Plads, Herlufsholm, Bruun & Möllers. Source: https://www.bm-la.de/projekte/rode-plads-herlufsholm/ (accessed: 24 June 2019). Thickening the threshold The pattern language In what situation Off-centring is a strategy which can suc- cessfully alter instances where the cen- tre of space is marked by an intersection of axes, a special element, gradation of size, height or rhythm to a certain point. It is questionable whether it can be suc- cessfully applied in situations where the 18 centrality of space is achieved via the form given to it by the outer partitions marking the extents of it. In central spaces the centre has a lot of importance and activity focuses around it. However the central organization of space may sometimes not stand in harmony with the function of the space which is when one may which to off-cen- tre it. What for Off-centring is a tool which allows to disrupt the centrality of a space. It can be useful not as much while designing buildings from scratch as while trans- forming existing buildings or outdoor spaces into non-hierarchical, non-sym- metrical architectures. Thickening the threshold The pattern language Off-centring is a strategy useful in -> 190. Ceiling-height variety multipurpose spaces. Off-centring is -> 129. Common areas at the heart one of the tools which lead to thicken- ing a threshold by the means of which threshold space gains a chance to serve purposes other than transiting.