A renowned architect known for his theories about building designs is Christopher Wolfgang Alexander. His primary interest is in art in its broadest sense, yet he has on occasion attained the blinding majesty of a constructor. He never makes sacrifices when it comes to the quality of life that he has infused into his architectural works. According to him, this is the only environmentally sound approach to building cities and maintaining human life. The human richness of the constructed environment, which is sensible and logical, is displayed in Alexander’s structures. His architectural designs are always meticulously crafted and harmonious with both the location and the user. They display a sense of “wholeness” that gives the inhabitants a sense of ownership over the structures and an emotional-psychological connection with them, both of which are quite uncommon in today’s society. The pattern language movement in computer science, which paved the way for numerous new advancements in programming, is widely credited to Alexander. He revitalized numerous significant projects around the world, such as the Linz Café in Austria, the Emoto Apartment Building in Tokyo, the Julian Street Inn in California, and the University of Oregon, Eugene, student residences. By actively participating in each project he has embarked on so far, Alexander has truly empowered design.
Early Childhood & Life
Christopher Alexander was raised in England after being born in Vienna, Austria, and there he began his scientific education. In 1954, he obtained an open scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge University, after graduating with a degree in architecture. He then attended Harvard University for his master’s in mathematics and his Ph.D. in architecture.
He also performed computer science and transportation theory research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at this time. He continued working in cognition and cognitive studies at Harvard, where he was chosen to join the Society of Fellows.
Christopher Alexander’s Career
He was hired in 1963 as an architecture professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he later held the position of Emeritus professor of architecture. He founded the Centre for Environmental Structure in 1967. It is a collection of projects that he and his partners developed and constructed in response to client needs, and it is currently led by him.
He wrote ‘The Oregon Experiment’ with Murray Silverstein, Shlomo Angel, Sara Ishikawa, and Denny Abrams, and it was published in 1975. At the University of Oregon in Eugene, it provided an experimental planning strategy for the campus community. He published ‘A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction’ in 1977 in collaboration with Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein of the Centre for Environmental Structure.
It presented the idea of “Pattern language” to its audience and provided examples of appropriate design techniques for the subject matter. Some localities and the University of Oregon both accepted this idea as a building code. He wrote “The Timeless Way of Building” in 1979, which proposed a new theory of architecture based on the comprehension and arrangement of design patterns. This book served as a source of inspiration for software and architectural design.
He served as a major faculty member for “The Prince of Wales’s Summer Schools in Civil Architecture” and “The Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture” between 1990 and 1994. His new four-volume opus, The Nature of Order: an Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe, was published in the years 2002–2004. These represent some essential realities regarding conventional building methods and redefine architecture. It offers a fresh perspective on what gives cities and towns life and real functionality.
Chrietopher’s Bigger Works
He and his colleagues from the Centre for Environmental Structure started work on the still-in-progress New Eishin University campus in Tokyo in 1985. He constructed “Martinez House,” a workshop made entirely of lightweight concrete, between 1978 and 1980. Its diverse structural components were created by combining several experimental techniques.
He constructed the Julian Street Inn in San Jose, California, in 1990. It served as a shelter for the destitute and stood out for its hand-painted tile facade, lion-headed tile fountain, individual sleeping areas in the dorms, and gardens and courtyards.
He and his group constructed the West Dean Visitor’s Center in West Sussex, England, between 1994 and 1996. He also developed the “Back of the Moon community” in Austin, Texas, at this time. It was made up of three individual homes constructed close to Lake Travis. In addition to these, he created a number of public and private buildings, such as the “King House” in Colorado and “The Sullivan House” in California, to mention a few.
Recognition & Achievements
He received the American Institute of Architects’ first gold medal for research in 1972, which is legally the highest honor bestowed by the organization. For the ‘New Eishin University Campus’ project in Tokyo as well as for a number of other buildings in Japan, he received the ‘Best Building in Japan Award’ in 1985 from the Japan Institute of Architects.
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) presented him with the “Distinguished Professor Award” in 1987. He received “The Seaside Prize” in 1994 from The Seaside Institute in recognition of his noteworthy contributions to the field of architecture. He had the pleasure of being named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest, most prominent, honorary institutions, in 1996.
He and another inaugural winner received the “Athena Medal” from the Congress for the New Urbanization (CNU) in 2006 in recognition of their contributions to architecture. He received the “Vincent Scully Prize” on November 5, 2009, from the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the world of architecture. Urban Design Group (UDG), a professional architectural and urban design services company, presented him with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2011.
Christopher Individual Life
He wed Pamela Patrick in 1978, and the two of them have two children, Lily and Sophie. He and his wife are currently residing in Arundel, Sussex, in the UK.
Estimated Net Worth
Christopher is one of Austria’s wealthiest architects. According to our research, Christopher Alexander has a net worth of $5 million, as reported by Forbes, Wikipedia, and Business Insider.
Trivia
The ‘Pattern Language’ movement owes its origins to him.