Christy-- Wow! You have left me saying Wow!
What an evocative notion--the space is alive. Is this true? Can we make it so? Can we at least meet it so? There are excerpts of Alexander's 4th book here: http://books.google.com/books?id=6CIHB3_1tLMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=christopher+alexander+nature+of+order#PPA1,M1 I have found his writing evocative as well. His books are huge, and sell by the pound. Now I have to mortgage my house to get these books.... What do you suppose might be the recursive structures built up in open space? Harrison said that it takes a lifetime to explore open space, and here for me is a new main artery. Catherine, I like your image of a porous embrace. How do you see time fitting into this living space of recursive structures? Could you say a little more, please? Still pondering.... :- Doug. On Tue, 2009-05-05 at 23:09 -0700, Christy Lee-Engel wrote: > Hi dear Doug, > > Well, your question reminds me of hearing friends talk about architect > Christopher Alexander's work, in which he emphasizes that "space must > be considered an almost living entity – a kind of stuff which, > depending on the recursive structures that are built up in it, becomes > progressively more and more alive." > > So that space can be more alive or less alive. > > I haven't read Alexander's 4-Volume "The Nature of Order" yet, and so > I don't know what "these fifteen properties" are - but this quote from > a book review makes me want to read it and find out!: > > "Systems in space which have these fifteen properties to a strong > degree will be alive, and the more these properties are present, the > more the systems which contain them will tend to be alive." > > > http://natureoforder.com/overview.htm > > > love & blessings, > > Christy > > > > > > On 5/5/09, douglas germann <76066....@compuserve.com> wrote: > Hi space dancers: > > Recently someone pointed us to a poem about how open spaces > are > necessary for a fire. It has had me pondering. > > At first I said, Sure, she is speaking of oxygen. Fires need > oxygen. Now > I am not so sure that is what she meant, or at least what is > true. So I > am asking you my friends, what you have observed. > > Just how important is the physical space for opening space? I > am not > talking about amenities like chairs and windows and air, nor > about the > exact number of square meters needed per person (this is > cultural: some > cultures want to be close enough to feel each other's breath; > some want > more distance). In Open Space Online we have a metaphorical > space for > our chats; in face to face, we have that physical space. Is > that space > in the center of the circle a separate, unnoticed but > essential, element > in conversation? > > The flames need to lick upwards, the heat needs someplace to > go, the > light needs to escape. The betweens are necessary to give > birth to the > what and who is emerging from our collective. What is the role > of space? > > :- Doug. > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist