ABSTRACT
One of the most influential books on architectural and design theory of the last few years has been Christopher Alexander’s Notes on the Synthesis of Form, published in 1964.1 The reasons for the initial impact of the book were various, but first among them was the fact that Alexander argued clearly, without slogans or polemics, for a rational, explicit design method to replace intuitive individualism. The general argument was followed with a specific proposal for a technique for analysing the complex structure of design problems, using set and graph theories – that is, the mathematics of classification and structural relationship. The method was applied by way of illustration to the design of an Indian village. The book seemed to present the case for a scientific, communally understandable design method with a particular mathematical means by which this might be achieved.
