Importance: 40%
The Big Idea
This change is basically the idea that all life giving change comes from an unfolding process that starts with the current structure of the whole and makes step by step changes to enhance and extend the wholeness. This process respects the current structure and basically seeks to change the least amount of big/strong/living centers in order to maximize the positive effects of the change. Because if you introduce a new strong center but destroy two others you really haven’t improved anything.
Chapter from Nature of Order Book 2 that Covers this basic Concept: Structure Preserving Transformations Nature of Order Book 2 Chapter 2.pdf
If I am not mistaken, the basic delineation between structure-preserving and structure-destroying is the amount of life (structural life not necessarily organic life) added or subtracted from the overall structure (or wholeness). Which means that the only way for a natural process to be structure-destroying would be if the overall life of the whole is less after a natural process than before. With that criteria, it is pretty much impossible to think of a natural process that does not in someway increase the life of the system. Alexander even points out that natural decay serves a similar purpose of clearing the way for new life to emerge.
I think this stems from the underlying cosmology that Alexander lays out stating that the whole is primary. Parts (really smaller wholes) arising from the wholeness rather than pieces of structure being put together to make the whole.
This clicked for me a lot more after reading Chapter one and two of this manuscript: The Unfolding Whole
In those chapters he breaks the concept down using the framework of the atom and how that picture of the universe (it being made of small little bits) is insufficient to actually describe the complex processes of the universe. Rather, the idea that atoms arise from the set of conditions in a particular place is a tangible example of how the whole creates its parts and gives a more full picture of why structure-preserving change naturally occurs.
Practically speaking I think this pushes me to think less of preserving structure for structures sake (i.e. getting stuck back looking at parts to make the whole again) but actually looking for what next step enhances the overall wholeness, life, beauty, and harmony of a thing.
Here are a few other helpful links from Stefan’s very helpful digital garden: Definition of Wholeness About the Nature of the Universe Creation of Structure as it Occurs in Nature
More detailed notes pulled from Cliff notes of The Nature of Order Book 2
Sources
This is a link to The Nature of Order Book 2 Cliff notes I have read through and pulled things that seemed useful or interesting I hope to get my hands on a full copy soon. Christopher Alexander lays out the process for how he sees structure preserving change come about.
- Alexander uses the 15 properties of good centers or the geometry that gives them more life as also the names of structure preserving transformation that injects that particular type of strengthening into the system of centers. This is generally called “unfolding” by Alexander - list of these transformations
- The overall way to under stand this is through the process of Differentiation of the whole to get parts. Like a cell divides to grow a baby. This is vital rather than the mechanistic model of adding parts together to make a whole. The whole idea is that we are starting from wholeness and enhancing it rather than assembling it. this preserves the previous structure and enhances it. The process of differentiation
- In parallel with differentiation is a cleaning out process Conclusion of the discussion on generated complexity
- the generative process or the steps taken and how they unfold and differentiate things is an integral part of the end result of living centers and good structure. Basically you have a crappy process you’ll get a crappy result. You have a beautiful and intentional process and you are much more likely to have a beautiful result - further insights into the real nature of living form
- Therefore the broad picture fits together like this: the wholeness of a thing is from where the network of centers arises. This wholeness has centers that are in various stages of development and latent centers that have not been developed. Living process works to start from this point of wholeness and ask the question “what is the next most beneficial step?” This works to develop the wholeness by differentiating and strengthening latent or already present centers within the whole by performing a particular structure preserving transformation. After that step you can ask the question again and again moving the wholeness forward in a smooth manner. The goal of this kind of living process is for each step to enhance and benefit the whole at every step. Not only that but also that each following step builds off of and uses what was laid out in the steps before. This makes the process truly generative and not get stuck in constantly redoing or undoing things that had been previously done. this type of living process is broadly called unfolding. proper sequence
- Alexander argues that the results of following this kind of living process will by nature aim to create things that are unique and with every part unique as well. Because the process respects the context of each element
- He further argues that this respect for what exists actually makes for the most creative and surprising results because what is made actually fits with the surroundings rather than being some completely new structure injected into the whole. respect for what exists
- Pattern languages are basically a way to describe basic centers and their relation to other basic centers. Allowing there to be a way to discuss plan and build particular instances of a pattern or combination of patterns into a real life center. This allows the application of the pattern in a context aware way. - pattern languages
- The use of human feeling as a guide for the built environment and if it is functioning properly- the application of feeling
- The over arching purpose of this kind of work is to actually get the essential important aspects of life being supported and enriched by specific centers not just the creation of an aesthetic or image ideal but asking a differentiating questions that help us see and understand the whole better. Questions like: “what is the next thing we can do to positively impact the life of the people around us?”
- In other words once you get a list of centers it’s time to test it out and experiment to see if this list of centers makes a coherent and meaningful whole. And then filling in any gaps of missing centers or refining center definitions etc.
- All of this comes from the core necessities and desires of humans toward life. Basically how do we go from these being super abstract to moving them into a pattern language that is actually actionable. In a Christian setting there needs to also be the additional emphasis on the objective word of God as well and not simply rely on human feelings. But it is helpful I think to observe that we all have these deep set feelings and they are the “law on the heart” in many ways so we can observe and test them out but also be aware that they are not a sure foundation either.
- “This can only be done in a spiritual state of mind. We shall arrive at the stuff which produces life only by having a sense, in us, of what will actually make life in the real thing. The extent to which I am able to do this depends on the extent of my own mental and emotional awakening. I have to ask myself, first, What is real life in a person? What kind of thing will produce real, deep life in an event? What will bring real life to the conditions of a building, or garden, or street, or town? What kinds of events make us feel close to our own wholeness? And in the end my ability to ask these questions requires that I ask which kinds of centers will do the most to produce real spiritual life in people: which things, events, moments, kinds of centers, will create a spiritual awakening in a person or a person’s life.” - looking for glimpses of eternal life
- Alexander argues that Deep Feeling and the production of places that convey deep feeling in the core way to identify living process and evaluate how effective the process is - aim of every living process
- he define feeling differently than emotion feeling for him is “the mode of perception and awareness which arises when a person pays attention to the whole” - wholeness and feeling
- He is also a big advocate of using one’s mind eye in imagination to be able to envision a truly alive feeling image of a place and how it could be changed with the next step. All of it boils down to the objective reality of the geometry being able to generate a particular feeling in people like an engine putting out power for a car.
- another tool he talks about for getting the flow of a plan right is an aperiodic grid. Which is basically a slightly irregular grid system put over the whole physical site with the grid lines tweaked and bent to accommodate the current structure of the site. This them can be used to help see how everything works together and where things could be moved or tweaked. - a periodic grid Link to full chapter: Chapter 15. Emergence of Formal Geometry, 4 / The Aperiodic Grid
- This grid is a normal grid but has some narrower and larger bands. This alternation basically allows for isolating symmetry and see how things are spaced well or not. He uses this most especially for creating middle-range order in the scale of rooms, bays etc. compared to the full volume of the building and the small details like doors and windows. - middle-range order
- His idea of deep feelings is a kind of internal intuition about the feeling a place elicits and could or should elicit as the unfolding happens. “something more solid than a feeling, but less formed than a thing” basically it is a set and solid sense of what the feeling should be that can be used as a kind of measuring rod to see if a step or change is consistent with it or not. - the formless but specific feeling of the whole
- In addition pattern language that looks at the functional and general relationships for forming a center. He also talks about a form language that is basically a level below a pattern language that is all about the physical geometric building blocks that can be used to achieve particular patterns. The form language is basically the LEGO set while the instructions are the pattern language. - historical form languages
- For Alexander the form language he offers for building a coherent environment is to use The Fifteen Fundamental Properties I.e. The Ways Centers Help Each Other Have More Life in this way the transformations are the rules or guides that create the actual form. So rather than a bunch of random pieces of geometry a form language is a set of rules to unfold a geometry of a particular character in this case living structure - a possibility of a form language for all future time
- Argues that the hallmark of living process is a profound simplicity that is defined as purity or the removal of extraneous elements. This is achieved by ““doing the simplest thing”, only the thing which is required and nothing beyond what is required”. He argues that this drive for simplicity is the foundation for all structure preserving transformations. Because they seek to preserve as much current structure as possible while introducing the elements that are most needed spiritual simplicity of heart
- Again the goal is simpler and richer at the same time with a packing and compressing of centers but a removal of unnecessary asymmetries. So basically a good rule of thumb is to focus on maximizing local symmetries but allowing the large to be syncopated or naturally rough natural symmetries
- “Everything in nature is symmetrical unless there is a reason for it not to be.” - symmetry and simplicity
- He kind of lays things out in a mutually reinforcing cycle where the process of differentiation creates structure and asymmetries while unfolding structure preserving transformations seek to act in the simplest way to add or enhance the current system of centers. This simplicity purifies the structure by creating symmetries that get rid of any unnecessary structure and complexity by only adding what is absolutely necessary. So it’s almost like two forces at work at once differentiation adding structure and asymmetry (which is the fundamental underlying process) and unfolding (or structure preserving transformations) adding symmetry, simplicity and purity. “If we want to, we can understand every step of the 10,000 steps, as a step adding structure — of adding a center. The center that is added will most often be a local symmetry, since there is rarely any reason to add something which is not a local symmetry. But the local symmetry that is placed, usually creates an asymmetry, too, at a larger level. Thus, the unfolding process will always create a huge system of local symmetries, syncopated, irregular and asymmetrical in the large, with a hierarchy of axes and main points and minor points. If the balance of symmetries and asymmetries is off, this is the surest and fastest intuitive way of telling that something is wrong — either with the wholeness, or with the process that produced it. The symmetries and asymmetries, and the balance between the two, are therefore invaluable as diagnostic tools to help us see if we are getting to the right stuff whole we are making something. They are especially invaluable because we can tell so very fast, intuitively, if they are just right or not. It is therefore one of the fastest ways we have of telling if things are going right in an unfolding building, and of correcting our work as we go along.” - At each step get rid of everything that is not required
- Further discussion of his ideas of simplicity: Nature of Order Book 2, Chapter 17.4 Simplicity
- Ornament and Function as Products of Unfolding