Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Production of Houses by Christopher Alexander, Howard Davis, Julio Martinez ISBN: 0-19-503223-3 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: June, 1985 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $50.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (1 review)
Rating: 5
Summary: Christopher Alexander's principles put into practice
Comment: If, after reading Christopher Alexander's earlier books, you were wondering if he ever actually built a house in the real world, here's your answer. Yes, he did. Yes, the people owning the houses love the results. Yes, they feel the special connection with their homes that is the hallmark of Alexander's ideas. No, the powers that be, who agreed to temporarily suspend building codes for his project, were not happy with the results. Why? Because they look funny, and because he built five homes instead of five hundred. Well, if they'd read his other books, they would not have been surprised. Our intrepid hero is quite unsparing of himself - you can see his delight as his ideas work, and his horror when they don't.
I believe that Christopher Alexander is dead on in saying that the system he created is a better way to build homes, indeed a far superior way to do so. However, I can't say the official reaction to this project is encouraging. After the first five homes were built, the bureaucrats came in, stopped the project and sent our intrepid hero packing. You can tell from the ending of the book that this reaction spooked Alexander, and I can't blame him. A revolutionary system of construction, he says, antagonizes pretty much everyone. But it will triumph, he proclaims!
It looks like it didn't, but I see increasing awareness of his ideas in more recent architectural books, so hopefully all is not lost. Despite the ultimate outcome, this is a brilliant book from an inspired thinker. You probably want to start with The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language before tackling this one, but if you liked his earlier works, this is an excellent, real-world counterpoint.
 |
Title: A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein ISBN: 0195019199 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 1977 List Price(USD): $65.00 |
 |
Title: The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander ISBN: 0195024028 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 1979 List Price(USD): $55.00 |
 |
Title: The Phenomenon of Life: The Nature of Order, Book 1 by Christopher Alexander ISBN: 0972652914 Publisher: Center For Environmental Structure Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $75.00 |
 |
Title: A New Theory of Urban Design (Center for Environmental Structure Series, Vol 6) by Christopher Alexander, Hajo Neis, Artemis Anninou, Ingrid King ISBN: 0195037537 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: November, 1987 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
 |
Title: The Oregon Experiment by Christopher Alexander ISBN: 0195018249 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: July, 1988 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
