Shifting Patterns: Christopher Alexander and the Eishin Campus

Christopher Alexander is a Vienna-born, British-American architect and theorist who is the father of the pattern language movement. Shifting Patterns is the first book to examine his theory of systems generating systems and its application to a building design. It brings together essays from an interdisciplinary, international cast of experts to investigate the application of this theory to the Eishin Campus outside Tokyo, the largest project Alexander has realized based on pattern language. The essays discuss topicality, interdisciplinary and internationality, and culture transfer, and look at the design-build movement as an antithesis to today's standardised and commerce-driven architectural production.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 29 May 2019
Publisher: Park Books

Christopher Alexander, a Vienna-born architect and theorist of British-American origin, is widely recognized as the father of the pattern language movement. His influential 1968 book, "A Pattern Language," co-authored with Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein, played a pivotal role in popularizing this approach. Additionally, his 1979 follow-up, "The Timeless Way of Building," further enriched the understanding of architectural design. While Alexander's work is renowned, his theory of "systems generating systems" is often overlooked, yet it is essential to comprehending his ideas. This theory posits that systems, as a whole, are created through the generation of other systems. To design functional wholes, we must therefore invent generating systems to bring them into existence.

Shifting Patterns, the first book to delve into Alexander's theory of "systems generating systems," takes the Eishin Campus outside Tokyo, constructed between 1983 and 1989, as its case study. This book brings together essays from an interdisciplinary and international cast of experts, including Eva Guttmann, Gabriele Kaiser, Ernst Beneder, Walter Ruprechter, Hisae Hosoi, Christian Kuhn, Ida Pristinger, and Norihito Nakatani. Additionally, conversations with Hajo Neis and Takaharu Tezuka provide valuable insights into the application of this theory to the school and university complex, which stands as Alexander's largest project based on pattern language.

The essays in Shifting Patterns explore various themes related to the application of this theory to architectural design. These include topicality, interdisciplinary and internationality, and culture transfer. The authors examine how the pattern language can be adapted to diverse contexts and cultures, fostering a sense of relevance and adaptability in architectural practice. They also discuss the design-build movement as an antithesis to today's standardized and commerce-driven architectural production, emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship and human interaction in the creation of buildings.

In conclusion, Christopher Alexander's theory of "systems generating systems" is a crucial aspect of his architectural philosophy. Shifting Patterns, by examining the application of this theory to the Eishin Campus and engaging with experts from various disciplines, provides valuable insights into the potential of pattern language in shaping architectural design. Through its exploration of topicality, interdisciplinary and internationality, and culture transfer, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of systems in creating functional and sustainable buildings.

Weight: 520g
Dimension: 257 x 236 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783038601494