SUMMARY OF THE PATTERN LANGUAGE
253 patterns on towns, buildings and construction
| To look for patterns dealing with particular topics, use the following topic finder: please click on the topic in the following list....regions...town and country boundaries...urban structures...communities...networks...neighborhood structures...local centers...houses...living rooms |
| TOWNS |
| The language begins with patterns that define towns and communities. These patterns can never be designed or built in one fell swoop - but patient piecemeal growth, designed in such a way that every individual act is always helping to create or generate these larger global patterns, will, slowly and surely, over the years, make a community that has these global patterns in it. |
| First, one all important comment about the region as a whole: |
| 1. INDEPENDENT REGIONS |
| Within each region work toward those regional policies which will protect the land and mark the limits of the cities: |
| 2. THE DISTRIBUTION OF TOWNS
3. CITY COUNTRY FINGERS 4. AGRICULTURAL VALLEYS 5. LACE OF COUNTRY STREETS 6. COUNTRY TOWNS 7. THE COUNTRYSIDE |
| Through city policies, encourage the piecemeal formation of those major structures which define the city : |
| 8. MOSAIC OF SUBCULTURES
9. SCATTERED WORK 10. MAGIC OF THE CITY 11. LOCAL TRANSPORT AREAS |
| Build up these larger city patterns from the grass roots, through action essentially controlled by two levels of self-governing communities, which exist as physically identifiable places |
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12. COMMUNITY OF 7000
13. SUBCULTURE BOUNDARY 14. IDENTIFIABLE NEIGHBORHOOD 15. NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY |
| Connect communities to one another by encouraging the growth of the following networks: |
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16. WEB OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
17. RING ROADS 18. NETWORK OF LEARNING 19. WEB OF SHOPPING 20. MINI-BUSES |
| Establish community and neighborhood policy to control the character of the local environment according to the following fundamental principles; |
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21. FOUR-STORY LIMIT
22. NINE PER CENT PARKING 23. PARALLEL ROADS 24. SACRED SITES 25. ACCESS TO WATER 26. LIFE CYCLE 27. MEN AND WOMEN |
| Both in the neighborhoods and the communities, and in between them, in the boundaries, encourage the formation of local centers; |
| 28. ECCENTRIC NUCLEUS
29. DENSITY RINGS 30- ACTIVITY NODES 31- PROMENADE 32- SHOPPING STREET 33. NIGHT LIFE 34. INTERCHANGE |
| Around these centers, provide for the growth of housing in the form of clusters, based on face-to-face human groups; |
| 35. HOUSEHOLD MIX
36. DEGREES OF PUBLICNESS 37. HOUSE CLUSTER 38. ROW HOUSES 39. HOUSING HILL 40. OLD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE |
| Between the house clusters, around the centers, and especially in the boundaries between neighborhoods, encourage the formation of work communities |
| 41. WORK COMMUNITY
42. INDUSTRIAL RIBBON 43. UNIVERSITY AS A MARKETPLACE 44. LOCAL TOWN HALL 45. NECKLACE OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS 46. MARKET OF MANY SHOPS 47. HEALTH CENTER 48. HOUSING IN BETWEEN |
| Between the house clusters and work communities, allow the local road and path network to grow informally, piecemeal |
| 49. LOOPED LOCAL ROADS
50. T JUNCTIONS 51. GREEN STREETS 52. NETWORK OF PATHS AND CARS 53. MAIN GATEWAYS 54. ROAD CROSSING 55. RAISED WALK 56. BIKE PATHS AND RACKS 57. CHILDREN IN THE CITY |
| In the communities and neighborhoods, provide public open land where people can relax, rub shoulders and renew themselves |
| 58. CARNIVAL
59. QUIET BACKS 6o. ACCESSIBLE GREEN 6i. SMALL PUBLIC SQUARES 62. HIGH PLACES 63- DANCING IN THE STREET 64- POOLS AND STREAMS 65. BIRTH PLACES 66. HOLY GROUND |
| In each house cluster and work community, provide the smaller bits of common land, to provide for local versions of the same needs |
| 67. COMMON LAND
68. CONNECTED PLAY 69. PUBLIC OUTDOOR ROOM 70. GRAVE SITES 71. STILL WATER 72. LOCAL SPORTS 73. ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND 74- ANIMALS |
| Within the framework of the common land, the clusters, and the work communities encourage transformation of the smallest independent social institutions: the families, workgroups, and gathering places. The family, in all its forms; |
| 75. THE FAMILY
76. HOUSE FOR A SMALL FAMILY 77. HOUSE FOR A COUPLE 78. HOUSE FOR ONE PERSON 79. YOUR OWN HOME |
| The workgroups, including all kinds of workshops and offices and even children's learning groups: |
| 80. SELF-GOVERNING WORKSHOPS AND OFFICES
81. SMALL SERVICES WITHOUT RED TAPE |
| The first group of patterns helps to lay out the overall |
| 82. OFFICE CONNECTIONS
83- MASTER AND APPRENTICES 84. TEENAGE SOCIETY 85. SHOPFRONT SCHOOLS 86. CHILDREN'S HOME 87- INDIVIDUALLY OWNED SHOPS 88. STREET CAFÉ 89. CORNER GROCERY 90. BEER HALL 9I. TRAVELER'S INN 92. BUS STOP 93. FOOD STANDS 94- SLEEPING IN PUBLIC |
| BUILDINGS |
| This completes the global patterns which define a town or a part of the community. We now,start tat part of the language which gives shape to groups of buildings, and individual buildings, on the land, in three dimensions. These are the patterns which can be "designed)' or "built”- the patterns which define the individual buildings and the space between buildings; where we are dealing f or the first time with Patterns that are under the control of individuals or small groups of individuals, who are able to build the patterns all at once. |
| Arrangement of a group of buildings: the height and number of these buildings, the entrances to the site, main parking areas and lines of movement through the complex. |
| 95. BUILDING COMPLEX
96. NUMBER OF STORIES 97. SHIELDED PARKING 98. CIRCULATION REALMS |
| the local shops and gathering places. |
| 99. MAIN BUILDING
100. PEDESTRIAN STREET 101. BUILDING THOROUGHFARE 102. FAMILY OF ENTRANCES 103. SMALL PARKING LOTS |
| Fix the position of individual buildings on the site, within the complex, one by one, according to the nature of the site, the trees, the sun: this is one of the most important moments in the language. |
| 104. SITE REPAIR
105. SOUTH FACING OUTDOORS io6. POSITIVE OUTDOOR SPACE I07. WINGS OF LIGHT io8. CONNECTED BUILDINGS I09. LONG THIN HOUSE |
| Within the buildings' wings, lay out the entrances, the gardens, courtyards, roofs, and terraces: shape both the volume of fhe buildings and the volume of the space between the buildings at the same time-remembering that indoor space and outdoor space, Yin and Yang, must alwavs aet their sha e together; |
| IIO. MAIN ENTRANCE
II 1. HALF-HIDDEN GARDEN II2. ENTRANCE TRANSITION II3. CAR CONNECTION 114. HIERARCHY OF OPEN SPACE 1I5. COURTYARDS WHICH LIVE ii6. CASCADE OF ROOFS II7. SHELTERING ROOF II8. ROOF GARDEN |
| When the major parts of buildings and the outdoor areas have been given their rough shape, it is the right time to give more detailed attention to the paths and squares between the buildings |
| II9. ARCADES
I20. PATHS AND GOALS 121. PATH SHAPE 122. BUILDING FRONTS i23. PEDESTRIAN DENSITY 124. ACTIVITY POCKETS 125. STAIR SEATS 126. SOMETHING ROUGHLY IN THE MIDDLE |
| Now, with the paths fixed, we come back to the buildings: within the various wings of any one building, work out the fundamental gradients of space, and decide how the movement will connect the spaces in the gradients; |
| 127. INTIMACY GRADIENT
128. INDOOR SUNLIGHT 129. COMMON AREAS AT THE HEART I30. ENTRANCE ROOM 13I. THE FLOW THROUGH ROOMS 132. SHORT PASSAGES I33. STAIRCASE AS A STAGE 134. ZEN VIEW I35. TAPESTRY OF LIGHT AND DARK |
| Within the framework of the wings and their internal gradients of space and movement, define the most important areas and rooms. First, for a house |
| 136. COUPLE'S REALM
137. CHILDREN'S REALM I38. SLEEPING TO THE EAST 139. FARMHOUSE KITCHEN |
| Prepare to knit the inside of the building to the outside, by treating the edge between the two as a place in its own right, and making human details there; |
| 140. PRIVATE TERRACE ON THE STREET
141. A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN 142. SEQUENCE OF SITTING SPACES 143. BED CLUSTER 144. BATHING ROOM 145.BULK STORAGE |
| Then the same for offices, workshops, and public buildings: |
| 146. FLEXIBLE OFFICE SPACE
147. COMMUNAL EATING 148. SMALL WORK GROUPS 149. RECEPTION WELCOMES YOU I50. A PLACE TO WAIT |
| Decide on the arrangement of the gardens, and the places in the gardens |
| 151. SMALL MEETING ROOMS i
I52. HALF-PRIVATE OFFICE |
| Add those small outbuildings which must be slightly in dependent from the main structure, and put in the access from the upper stories to the street and gardens; |
| I 53. ROOMS TO RENT
154. TEENAGER'S COTTAGE 155. OLD AGE COTTAGE 156. SETTLED WORK I57. HOME WORKSHOP 158. OPEN STAIRS I59. LIGHT ON TWO SIDES OF EVERY ROOM i6o. BUILDING EDGE i6i. SUNNY PLACE i62. NORTH FACE i63. OUTDOOR ROOM i64. STREET WINDOWS i65. OPENING TO THE STREET i66. GALLERY SURROUND i67. SIX-FOOT BALCONY i68. CONNECTION TO THE EARTH i69. TERRACED SLOPE I70. FRUIT TREES 171. TREE PLACES 172. GARDEN GROWING WILD I73. GARDEN WALL 174. TRELLISED WALK 175. GREENHOUSE I76. GARDEN SEAT I77. VEGETABLE GARDEN 178. COMPOST |
| Go back to the inside of the building and attach the necessary minor rooms and alcoves to complete the main rooms: |
| 179. ALCOVES
180. WINDOW PLACE 181. THE FIRE I82. EATING ATMOSPHERE I83. WORKSPACE ENCLOSURE i84. COOKING LAYOUT 185. SITTING CIRCLE i86. COMMUNAL SLEEPING I87. MARRIAGE BED i88. BED ALCOVE I89. DRESSING ROOM |
| Fine tune the shape and size of rooms and alcoves to make them precise and buildable: |
| 190. CEILING HEIGHT VARIETY
191. THE SHAPE OF INDOOR SPACE 192. WINDOWS OVERLOOKING LIFE I93. HALF-OPEN WALL 194. INTERIOR WINDOWS 195. STAIRCASE VOLUME 196. CORNER DOORS |
| Give all the walls some depth, wherever there are to be alcoves, windows, shelves, closets, or seats |
| 197. THICK WALLS
I98. CLOSETS BETWEEN ROOMS Igg. SUNNY COUNTER 200. OPEN SHELVES 20I. WAIST-HIGH SHELF 202. BUILT-IN SEATS 203- CHILD CAVES 204- SECRET PLACE |
| CONSTRUCTION |
| At this stage, you have a complete design f or an individual building. If you have followed the patterns given, you have a scheme of spaces, either marked on the ground, with stakes, or on a piece of paper, accurate to the nearest foot or so. You know the height of rooms, the rough size and position of windows and doors, and you know roughly how the roofs I of the building, and the gardens are laid out. |
| The next, and last part of the language), tells how to make a buildable building directly from this rough scheme of spaces,, and tells you how to build it) in detail. |
| Before you lay out structural details, establish a philosophy of structure which will let the structure grow directly from your plans and your conception of the buildings; |
| 205. STRUCTURE FOLLOWS SOCIAL SPACES
2o6. EFFICIENT STRUCTURE 207. GOOD MATERIALS 208. GRADUAL STIFFENING |
| Within this philosophy of structure, on the basis of the plans which you have made, work out the complete structural layout; this is the last thing you do on paper, before you actually start to build; |
| 209. ROOF LAYOUT
210. FLOOR AND CEILING LAYOUT 211. THICKENING THE OUTER WALLS 2I2. COLUMNS AT THE CORNERS 213. FINAL COLUMN DISTRIBUTION |
| Put stakes in the ground to mark the columns on the site, and start erecting the main frame of the building according to the layout of these stakes |
| 214. ROOT FOUNDATIONS
215. GROUND FLOOR SLAB 216. BOX COLUMNS 2I7. PERIMETER BEAMS 218. WALL MEMBRANES 219. FLOOR-CEILING VAULTS 220. ROOF VAULTS |
| Within the main frame of the building, fix the exact positions for openings-the doors and windows-and frame these openings; |
| 22I. NATURAL DOORS AND WINDOWS
222. LOW SILL 223. DEEP REVEALS 224. LOW DOORWAY 225. FRAMES AS THICKENED EDGES |
| As you build the main frame and its openings, put in the following subsidiary patterns where they are appropriate; |
| 226. COLUMN PLACE
227- COLUMN CONNECTION 228. STAIR.VAULT 229. DUCT SPACE- 230. RADIANT HEAT 23I. DORMER WINDOWS 232. ROOF CAPS |
| Put in the surfaces and indoor details; |
| 233. FLOOR SURFACE
234. LAPPED OUTSIDE WALLS 235. SOFT INSIDE WALLS 236. WINDOWS WHICH OPEN WIDE 237- SOLID DOORS WITH GLASS 238. FILTERED LIGHT 239- SMALL PANES 240. HALF-INCH TRIM |
| Build outdoor details to finish the outdoors as fully as the indoor spaces; |
| 24I. SEAT SPOTS
242. FRONT DOOR BENCH 243- SITTING WALL 244. CANVAS ROOFS 245. RAISED FLOWERS 246. CLIMBING PLANTS 247- PAVING WITH CRACKS BETWEEN THE STONES 248. SOFT TILE AND BRICK |
| Complete the building with ornament and light and color and your own things; |
| 249- ORNAMENT
250. WARM COLORS 251. DIFFERENT CHAIRS 252. POOLS OF LIGHT 5 253- THINGS FROM YOUR LIFE |