Christopher Alexander: A Primer [video]

In case you also read the comments first and wonder who this is:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Christopher_Alexander" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Christopher_Alexander</a><p>&gt; Christopher Wolfgang Alexander is a widely influential British-American architect and design theorist, and currently emeritus professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

If you have any interest in human-centered architecture or design in general, Pattern Language and The Nature of Order are worth reading. They&#x27;re not quick reads that you can easily summarize though.

I read Notes on the Synthesis of Form and I loved it. Then I read A Pattern Language... damn son.<p>I recently bought The Battle for the Life and Beauty of the Earth. Within the first 2 pages I was already hooked. But in fairness, It&#x27;s because I think we are two minds alike so I hardly disagree with him... which I think it&#x27;s bad.

Related: There was a recent discussion on HN [1] of an article in which someone described their process for designing a new home, and the author recommended “The Timeless Way of Building” by Christopher Alexander as one of their inspirations. I’ve since started reading the book and found it very inspiring so far. I haven’t read “A Pattern Language” yet, but my impression is that “The Timeless Way” is focusing a bit more on the “why” rather than the “how”.<p>[1]: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=23881363" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=23881363</a>

I found Christopher Alexander&#x27;s The Timeless Way of Building through a recommended list on HN, and it ended up changing how I think about software architecture and life in general. I can&#x27;t recommend it enough.

Tangentially related: there&#x27;s a HN thread now on &quot;Townscape&quot; [0], a game with no goals, no levels, no enemy, etc - you can simply build cities and villages by clicking around.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;store.steampowered.com&#x2F;app&#x2F;1291340&#x2F;Townscaper&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;store.steampowered.com&#x2F;app&#x2F;1291340&#x2F;Townscaper&#x2F;</a>

Alexander&#x27;s The Timeless Way of Building is probably one of the top 3 things I have ever read on any topic, maybe my favorite thing I&#x27;ve ever read.