A Design Perspective
The Call of the Wild
Much like the constructivists of the 1920s, my experience at CED compelled me to pursue a fundamentally different approach to architecture.
t the time, I could not articulate why I felt compelled to bring my wife and newborn child onto the 1907 lava flow at the southernmost tip of the United States on the Big Island. The decision seemed irrational.
I justified this decision by claiming a need for land and a desire to emulate Chris Alexander’s approach, constructing a house in accordance with his timeless principles.
However, a unique phenomenon emerges when applying A Pattern Language: the methodology seems to respond and interact with the user.
Upon reflection, many years later, I recognized a rationale behind what once seemed irrational. At the 1976 UN Conference on Human Settlements, the concept of site-and-service projects for the developing world was introduced.
This represented a return to minimalist principles, now directed not at workers but at impoverished communities.
After returning from the conference, Professor Lerup posed a pivotal question: “If you had land, what would you build?”
Participating in the development of the CED Habitat Manifesto (1976) necessitated implementing the first recommended change to the CED curriculum:
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To offer more substantive courses on the theory and practice of self-help housing both domestically and internationally.
