Fresh from completing my capstone projects and filled with newfound confidence, I felt an irresistible pull. I could not explain why I brought my wife and newborn to the 1907 black lava flow at the southernmost edge of the Big Island. The choice defied logic.
I rationalize my actions, insisting I needed land to explore Chris Alexander’s path and build a home shaped by Pattern Language.
Yet I uncovered something remarkable: when you engage with A Pattern Language, the method feels alive, almost as if it listens and adapts to your intentions.
Finally, I realized there was a reason behind what once seemed like an odd choice: the 1976 UN Conference on Human Settlements, which introduced the idea of site-and-service projects for developing countries.
The concept brought minimalist design back to its social roots, this time aimed at helping poor communities rather than workers. Through honest reflection, I recognized that my studies were all theory; I had never truly lived the minimalist site-and-service life.
My participation in the development of the CED Habitat Manifesto (1976) was the source of the call to the wild.
