'A Pattern Language' by Christopher Alexander - #106 Positive Outdoor Space


illustration of Christopher Alexander's 'Positive Outdoor Space' by Matt Noiseux

One of the books I use in my Landscape Design Studio class in Columbia University is the classic, 'A Pattern Language' by Christopher Alexander. It offers 'patterns' as basic design templates for you to follow. 



These are principles of  design that are founded on common sense as much as anything else....Alexander says his design language  is based on human and natural considerations.....Adding to the delight it that they are numbered for easy reference in the book!  'Accesible Green' is # 60. 'Quiet Backs' is #59. 

One of the more elusive patterns is  #106 Positive Outdoor Space. It is a favorite of mine. It talks about manipulating outdoor space and refers to space as being 'negative' and 'positive'.

 Yin / Yang anyone?



The gist of this pattern says that there are two fundamentally different kinds of outdoor space: negative space and positive space.

Negative outdoor space is shapeless, the formless residue that surrounds buildings ....

aka  'empty space'...

Positive outdoor space has a distinct and definite shape -  its form is as important as the shapes of the buildings which surround it.



Just as the universal Yin Yang symbol illustrates the interrelation of positive and negative, so does great site design.

Make all the outdoor spaces which surround and lie between buildings positive.

 



Give each one some degree of enclosure; surround each space with wings of buildings, walls, trees, hedges, fences, arcades, and trellised walks,



until it becomes an entity with a positive quality and does not spill out indefinitely around corners.

 



portion of Hannah Warren's functional diagram...



'A Pattern Language' belongs in all designers' libraries.
 



Comments

  1. The Sage ButterflyApril 5, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    That was very interesting! I have never seen this book. It should be of help to us all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 5, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    Great post! And great drawings by Matt Noiseux!
    ~ Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oliver SwannAugust 28, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    Hope you enjoy this collection of natural homes that illustrate 'A Pattern Language'

    http://naturalhomes.org/fbr.pattern

    Regards, Oliver

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jan JohnsenAugust 29, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    I love your Facebook page, Oliver! Naturalhomes.org....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Noel KellyFebruary 11, 2013 at 8:22 AM

    Some context.

    'Notes on the Synthesis of Form' is his thesis work. It dates to the early 60's.

    'A Pattern Language' (1977, vol 2) & it's original companion; 'The Timeless Way of Building' (1979, vol 1) are his first major works, beyond papers & essays.

    Ultimate master work, the 4 book 'The Nature of Order' (Vols 9, 10, 11 & 12) were published in the early noughties, in the years following his retirement from UCB.

    In Oct 12, he publish Battle (vol 13).

    He also has an unpublished book with the working title of 'Morphogenesis and Sustainability'.

    Just reading Patterns is just scratching the surface!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jan JohnsenFebruary 12, 2013 at 9:12 AM

    What perfect timing for this Noel - just introduced this book to my class at Columbia last night! I will look fot those other books and esp. Battle, his latest. Thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete
  7. KathieJanuary 29, 2014 at 5:44 PM

    Thanks for this post, Jan. I am about to complete a degree in hort technology and am taking a plant composition class this semester. Thank you for simplifying and clarifying the definition of positive/negative space. As I left today's class the discussion on this topic felt a bit vague and fuzzy. This post helps. A good thing since we are to find picture examples of positive and negative space!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan JohnsenJanuary 31, 2014 at 7:12 AM

      Kathie - in 1971 I was studying landscape architecture and the concept of positive/negative space was all the rage...but no one could explain it to me.

      The space 'in between' physical elements can be defined well or just be amorphous. Trees can make as space positive too..Read Alexander's description of Tree Places.

      I talk about line and space in a chapter in my upcoming book, "Heaven is a Garden". You can pre-order it on Amazon for March, 2014.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Hi there! I would love to hear from you....

Popular Posts of all Time

Angelface Blue and Dark Violet Angelonia - a Flower that Keeps Giving

Image
(Angelonia with Helichrysum, petunia, Johnsen Landscapes) Blue is everyone's "favorite color."  It is, hands down, the most popular color worldwide and is the least "gender specific" color, having equal appeal to both men and women. Now Purple is giving blue a run for its money as the second favorite color.... Blue is the favored color for toothbrushes, so that says it all!  ( this info is from a great website: Sensation Color ) but can purple be far behind? Scientists have found that the color blue causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming. This may be why we all like to be around blue....stare at this square and see if it calms you. In fact, over the past decade, scientists have reported the successful use of blue light in the treatment of psychological problems such as addictions, eating disorders, impotence, and depression. Moreover, a deep blue/purple such as Indigo or Deep Violet symbolizes mystical wisdom and spiritual insight. It incr
Read more

Planting Design for Dry Gardens by Olivier Filippi

Image
Do you garden in a dry area?  I love this teaching approach by Olivier Filippi. 1: Salvia chamaedryoides 2: Rhodanthemum hosmariense 3: Artemisia abrotanum 'Silver' 4: Phlomis 'The South' 5:  Senecio vira-vira 6: Salvia fruticosa 7: Salvia leucophylla 8: Artemisia lanata This photo and information is from a French website that I cannot translate into English. It is by the authority on dry gardens, Olivier Filippi, and is very good. Check it out:    http://www.jardin-sec.com/ Also he wrote a great book called 'Planting Design for Dry Gardens'.  Nigel Dunnett says,  "In  Planting Design for Dry Gardens  Olivier Filippi has charted a future for garden and planting Design. Combining authoritative practical advice with deep ecological insight, Olivier shows how learning from nature can give us the best of all worlds: beautiful and sustainable gardens with a unique sense of place. I challenge anyone
Read more

'Purple Smoke' - The best Baptisia

Image
Try  planting  Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'.  And pair it with Baptisia Cherries Jubilee. A deer resistant, native, drought tolerant, purple, long lived perennial! Wow! Photo - Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden - Puple Smoke Baptisia and Carolina Moonlight Baptisia It is a hybrid of  B. australis  and  B. alba and is a vigorous grower.   Discovered by Rob Gardener of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens, it has charcoal-gray stems and is purple.   Baptisia is a native perennial that has a long taproot, loves sunny sites with lean or poor soil. Average to dry soil is best.  Its deep tap root allows it to survive long dry periods, making it a challenge to move once it is established.  Purple Smoke from Bluestone Perennials The flowers resemble lupines and are smoky violet. Numerous flowers open first at the base of the flower stalk in May and ascend upwards, topping out at 4.5' tall. It has fine textured, blue-green foliage.  The flowe
Read more

No-Fail Tips for Turning Hydrangeas Blue!

Image
(photographer - unknown) Everyone wants Blue Hydrangeas.  The rarity of naturally blue flowers is an irresistible draw to gardeners.  How to Turn Your Hydrangeas Blue?  Here are a few tips from Proven Winners: Nikko Blue Hydrangea from Missouri Botanical garden 1. Be sure you’re working with the right kind of hydrangea.  You must have a Hydrangea macrophylla or H. serrata to have pink or blue flowers.  (photographer -unknown) 2. Aluminum availability determines flower color. The availability of aluminum makes the flowers turn blue. Without aluminum the blooms will be pink.  Soil pH must be low or acid (5.2-5.5) for the plant to absorb the aluminum. from nely.bluehortensia blogspot.com 3. Color changes need time to take effect.  Consistent treatment is necessary to  turn your hydrangeas blue:  Plant your hydrangeas in a phosphorous-free medium, and use a phosphorus-free fertilizer with lots of potassium (i.e. 25-5-30). PHOTO BY DEBOR
Read more

Repurposed and Recycled - Creative Ideas for Garden Design

Image
Nothing like piano keys to liven up a garden space....(above photo from Stone Art Blog) Recycling can be many things to many people... or, in other words,   " One man's trash is another's man treasure" from Stone Art Blog This piano was placed here in the garden. Here is what Sunny Wieler of Stone Art Blog wrote about this: "Besides being a passionate gardener, my dad is also a passionate piano player, so a few years back we got him a new piano for his birthday. So the old piano spent a while in the shed before he had the great idea to put it out in the garden..." Little did Sunny's dad know that he was at the forefront of the conceptual art movement:...they would say something like this is a testament to the natural decomposing processes, a statement of the fragility of life, the impermanence of existence... his dad would say, 'Hey, why not put it in the garden?" photos of broken concrete from Bourget Bros web
Read more

The Magnificent Purslane - Edible Landscaping at its best!

Image
What was one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorite foods?  and what did Henry Thoreau eat while residing at Walden Pond?  PURSLANE . Purslane, long considered an obnoxious weed in the U.S., is, in fact, full of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids!  And now this overlooked gem - considered 'one of the most nutritious greens in the world' -  is receiving the attention it is due. Usha Palaniswamy of the Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, reports that, "Purslane is receiving much attention for cultivation by the United States Department of Agriculture as part of their effort to bring about a modification in the western diet with increased intake of fresh fruits and vegetables." Purslane contains a high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), one of the highly sought-after Omega-3 fatty acids. It has several times the concentration of ALA than is found in spinach.  So throw away those fish oil capsules and grow your own Omega-3 fatty acids! It
Read more

My one day Class Wednesday April 16 in NY - Jan Johnsen

Image
I am teaching a one day class on Wednesday April 16 at the NY Botanical Garden  It is a fun, eye opening and fun class!            (class size is limited.) I  share my insights into landscape design and how to use various cultural and ancient traditions in a garden. I discuss how to use the compelling duality of Yin and Yang in a setting, explain how each of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) affects us differently, which proportions create a more harmonious setting.  I also show how to place rocks in the landscape according to the Japanese understanding. Everyone loves this. and of course, I discuss Color and its effects on our wellbeing... I show 2 beautiful powerpoint to illustrate my talk..  Handouts reinforce the information I provide. Here is what students have written: No wonder you were instructor of the year! Your talk was delightful, Jan. You gave us all a thoughtful, colorful start to planting season. I have some great
Read more