Pattern Language Roofs

This is one of a series of articles about a pattern language by christopher alexander where we illustrate and discuss the patterns using homes and buildings made from natural materials like stone clay wood and straw.
Pattern language roofs. The most primitive buildings are nothing but a roof. The second of three books published by the center for environmental structure to provide a working alternative to our present ideas about architecture building and planning a pattern language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. Christopher alexander writes in the pattern language no. A pattern language of natural homes no 220 roof vaults.
If the roof cannot be felt visually around the home it doesn t satisfy the psychological need for shelter. Jacobson and ingrid fiksdahl king and s. And as with any body headless or otherwise the whole structure is only as healthy as its individual parts. Architect theorist christopher alexander conceptualized pattern 117.
The reader is given an overview of some 250 patterns that are the units of this language each consisting of a. The roof plays a primal role in our lives. Alexander identified that the most fundamental and archetypal element defining a home is it s roof. Intricate roofs have many parts that incorporate several of the basic roof designs such as a gable roof sitting atop a gambrel or variations of the gable valley roof design using one or a variety of different types of roof trusses also see our very detailed diagrams showing the different parts of a roof truss.
Pattern language of natural homes no 117 sheltering roof if the roof on your home cannot be felt visually around it then it doesn t satisfy the psychological need for shelter. A pattern language towns buildings construction inproceedings alexander1977apl title a pattern language towns buildings construction author c. Some of the patterns have been criticized particularly those dealing with the layout of cities and towns but overall the patterns provide a ri finished a pattern language by christopher alexander sara ishikawa and. Also different architectural styles will use the same type of roof.
Sheltering roof in his 1977 book a pattern language. A pattern language is a catalog of 253 patterns that cover everything from the layout of cities down to the layout of rooms.