Replying to LO26403 --
> The structure (the best definition I can find is from Maturana) denotes
>the components and relations that actually constitute a particular unity
>(whole) and makes its organization real.
Hi Gavin and all,
I just wanted to share that currently I am reading Christopher Alexanders
A Pattern Language. It has been mentioned a few times here on the list and
I found out that a german translation exists, which makes things much
easier for me.
He does not define 'structure' in this book, but he mentions how
unsatisfied he was on the notion that wholes are created by components and
their relations. Being an architect, creating a house from components like
windows, doors, walls, roof etc. didn't work for him. For him any whole is
embedded in larger wholes and constituted by smaller wholes. As a phrase
this is not new to me, of course. But I have never seen such a worked
through example: 253 'patterns', each pattern a whole in itself, starting
with whole territories, going down through cities and neighborhoods to the
patterns of buildings and finally ending with patterns of construction
down to Ornaments and their meaning. The undertitle reads: Cities,
Buildings, Construction
Just taking a few hours, reading the introduction and smell the books
unusual form/content was very enriching for me. It is not so much
intellectually demanding but much more emotionally delightful. So rich in
essentialities in each pattern, ahh. Hopefully there are many more pattern
languages to come. What about: A Pattern Language: Industries, Companies,
Work. Leaving the elements behind and dive into the wholes...
Liebe Gruesse,
Winfried
--"Dressler, Winfried" <Winfried.Dressler@Voith.com>
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