Resources
Welcome to the Resource Center. In this room we share our stories and reflections related to our own experiences of making places, as well as those of living in places that are worth remembering and passing on as good lessons for the future. We are now able to share course lectures with you as well.
You are most welcome to get in touch with staff if you have stories you would like to share.
Student Perspective on the Legacy of Christopher Alexander
“The fact that I am writing a tribute to a person I never met is a testament to how deeply we connect with what he is telling us.”
A Building Beauty student’s perspective on the legacy of Christopher Alexander, on the Architecture Live website.
In Memoriam: Dorian Taylor on Christopher Alexander's Oeuvre and Computer Programming
What makes Alexander contentious among architects is his insistence that some configurations of space are objectively more “living” in this way than others, and that there is a moral imperative, a duty of care, to create the more living structure.
“What makes Alexander contentious among architects is his insistence that some configurations of space are objectively more “living” in this way than others, and that there is a moral imperative, a duty of care, to create the more living structure. ”
Gatemaker with Greg Bryant
A rough tour of Gatemaker, a different direction for computer tools, intended to help anyone to create natural structure in the built environment. Created by Christopher Alexander and Greg Bryant from 1996-1997, it provides a framework for people to make use of their natural ability to judge what is natural, harmonious, and full of life.
Access Gatemaker here.
Dan Palmer: Living Design Process in practice
In April 2020, Dan Palmer spoke to our Nature of Order webinar about his practice in and around Melbourne, Australia, working with gardens and landscapes, both urban and rural. His living design process generates life for people, the land, and rooftop gardens. Dan takes us on a tour of a few of his projects to show us how it is done. A video of his talk can be seen here.
Terrazzo and Ceramic Tiles: an Experiment on Hands-on Making
Saman Moein, Bulding Beauty graduate of 2018, has completed his Masters of Architecture in Architectural Design at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He shares with us his Master’s Thesis for which he drew on many of his experiences with Building Beauty.
“This paper focuses on the intimate act of making, and its
value and place in a world dominated by industrial mass production. It first argues that the system of mass-production of houses in modern times has damaged the environment, wounded communities, and created inhumane structures. The paper, therefore, argues that the humane act of making, and local crafts, needs to be restored in communities and that the built environment cannot be built by harsh mechanical systems, suggesting that the architect should seek to bridge
the gap between the builders, and the designers.” Saman Moien
With this paper, Saman makes an important contribution by emphasizing there is low cost to adding these methods to ordinary building processes. There are many marvelous examples from different cultures as well.
Read the full thesis here.
Site Analysis and Project Language Report for the Sant'Anna Institute
The Site Analysis and Project Language for the Sant’Anna Institute is our students’ summary of their work in the first term of Building Beauty. It is a significant contribution to the Institute and the learning community we are a part of. Guided by The Nature of Order and Christopher Alexander’s colleagues of many years, it is a prime example of how to prepare the ground for living architecture to be enhanced and built, extending the wholeness of community, structures, and the natural environment around them. The students have given their all to this effort, and the teaching staff congratulates them on both the high quality of their work, and the heart they have put into it. Our client, the Sant'Anna Institute, is also grateful for the contribution our students have made to the learning experience there. We have received this feedback from Director Olga Stinga.
The presence of Building Beauty at Sant'Anna has been such a pleasure for the Institute and the rest of the community. Thanks to the works being carried out in our garden by the participants of the Building Beauty, we have come to more profoundly understand the interrelatedness of beauty and practicality. Watching their design transform from an idea to a reality has been inspiring and I am happy to say that the students and their collaborators will leave a lasting mark on our Institute.
Download the 2018 Site Analysis and Project Language Report
Sorrento Gardens Form Language
Our students and staff have created a Form Language that presents the geometrical elements and other characteristics of gardens in Sorrento and nearby towns. This Form Language will be used for as a guide for our project designs in the garden of the Sant'Anna Institute.