A Pattern Language *

Previously, 'A Pattern Language' by Christopher Alexander has been a very useful tool in helping to organise thoughts and ideas about projects. The pattern language set out by Alexander is a series of guidelines outlining a series of problems in architecture, urban design and community liveability, providing a solution for each. The language in the book is derived from archetypal patterns, so deeply rooted in the nature of things that it is seemingly likely that they will be a part of human nature, and human action, as much in five hundred years as they are today.

The following are a number of patterns deemed to be relevant to the project and may help influence the design process as it develops further.

35. Household Mix

People feel their way through life by observing other people at different life stages, using them as role models. In Sway there is a large percentage of older people in the village, with younger people being driven out by high property prices and a lack of suitable homes. By introducing a development with a mixture of different house types, this can be the start of a way in which to transform Sway and encourage better interactions between the village society.

37. House Cluster

Cluster homes seem to work best if they have between 8 and 12 set around common land. The pattern is based on the idea that if the land is owned and maintained by the home owners then it naturally becomes a place for neighbourly interaction. Interestingly this is also the ideology behind the development at Sway.

38. Row Houses

Row houses (or terraced houses) solve housing issues that come about through the formation of detached houses and apartments by allowing for higher densities whilst preserving open space. However, conventional row housing produces conjoined homes with shirt frontages and long depths, resulting in poorly lit internal spaces and the feeling of lack of privacy due to the proximity of party walls.

Alexander proposes that the houses should instead be long and thin along the paths so that that the plans can be arranged to maximise light. By adjusting the plans pockets of space can be formed outside so that private external areas can be formed.

40. Old People Everywhere

There is a natural tendency for old people to gather together in communities, and also for contemporary society to shunt them away. However, this damages both the older and younger people in the community. The young cannot learn from the company of the old, and the old become isolated. This is what appears to have happened in Sway, so this project is attempting to bring them back into society, first by placing them amongst the younger generations so that they become physically integrated before naturally becoming socially integrated.

67. Common Land

Before industrial societies it was common place for there to be common land between houses. Fulfilling two important social functions, the common land provides a space for people in which they feel safe and comfortable outside their homes, whilst also acting as a meeting place for people. Located close to homes, common land should not allow cars to encroach into it so that pedestrians can enjoy the space in safety.

100. Pedestrian Street

Today's society is missing the social 'glue', the interaction of people. Cars have rendered many streets uninhabitable, robbing them of people and removing a natural space for social interaction. To counter this there should be separation between cars and people. This ideology is akin to that of the SPAN developments where parking was located away from the houses, meaning people have to walk through common spaces to get their homes, forcing social interaction. The development in Sway also aims to separate cars and people. Having seen first hand how little social interaction there is on the streets cars seem to be used as the preferred mode of transport for villagers to get around Sway. Even when the school finishes there are still not many people walking around as many parents pick up their children in cars.

106. Positive Outdoor Spaces

Spaces perceived to be seen as positive are usually partially exposed so that their areas seem bounded. The need for enclosure probably stems from our primitive instincts.

109. Long Thin House

The shape of a building effects the degrees of privacy within it. By increasing the space between rooms, as opposed to clustering them together, the privacy of the building increases. With the development proposed in Sway the building will have two public facades, so trying to maintain a traditional form of privacy may be difficult. However, the long thin building is a model that should still try to be implicated.

110. Main Entrance

The position of the main entrance controls the layout of the building, it controls the movement inot and out of it. Upon the approach the entrance, or some hint as to where it is, should be apparent. It should be able to be seen from the main avenues of approach to the building, a bold and visible shape at the front of the building.

111. Half Hidden Gardens

Gardens need to be between public and private spaces. If they are too close to the street they won't be used, but if they are too private they won't be used either, they are too isolated. The garden needs a certain degree of privacy yet also some kind of connection to the street. They should be side-by-side to the house, half hidden from the street and half exposed. This is the kind of idea already developing in the design where there are no traditional private back gardens; instead half open courtyards to the rear of the dwellings connecting to the common space.

112. Entrance Transition

Buildings that are most tranquil are those with a nice transition between the street and the entrance. This transition must allow for people to relax as they move away from the street. This can be achieved by making the space between the street and entrance using a change, for example of light, sound, direction, surface, along side a change in view.

115. Courtyards Which Live

As a rule of thumb Alexander suggests that at least one small roof garden should be included in every building. They should be placed at various stories to provide different views, and should always be directly accessible from a lived-in room in the building. As development at Sway will not have traditional forms of private gardens it is proposed that the dwellings instead have a series of courtyards and terraces so that each dwelling has access to private outside spaces.

127. Intimacy Gradient

Interior space should be arranged in a sequence that corresponds to the degree of privateness of the space. For example the bedroom is seen as the most private space in a house and so should be located furthest from the entrance. In the proposal it is envisaged that the kitchen space could be one of the most public spaces in the dwelling to allow for a connection from the kitchen to the street. The living room on the other hand becomes both a public and semi-private space being located furthest away from the entrance but at the same time near the common garden to the rear of the dwellings.

128. Indoor Sunlight

This is one of the most important patterns as it ensures the creation of comfortable and enjoyable spaces in a building. Ideally the building should run along the east-west axis with common areas facing south. The site is roughly south facing but due to the shape of the site is it not very feasible to have dwellings with a full south facing edge.

129. Common Areas at Heart

The common room should be placed at the centre of the home so that it is naturally passed as people enter and exit the building. This space should be at tangent to the paths through the house so that people can easily stop if they so wish, or continue forward. This central room is likely to be the dining area of the dwellings in Sway as it will likely lie between the kitchen and living room.

130. Entrance Room

The main entrance into the home should be a light-filled space that helps the transition from inside to outside. Punching out from the building line, it should mark the entry point into the dwelling. The room covers a variety of needs and helps to protect the privacy of the inner rooms when someone comes to the door, as well as being a place to store things such as coats and shoes.

131. The Flow Through Rooms

This pattern has been in mind from the beginning of he design process, to not only improve circulation but also in the anticipation that these dwellings may be used by a number of different aged people. By having free movement though the home, the common spaces in particular, the social relationships of those in the dwelling are likely to be better than if the rows were more closed off.

Reference:

Alexander, C (1977) A Pattern Language. Oxford, Oxford University Press.