Structure of the Ordinary: Form and Control in the Built Environment

N J Habraken, Jonathan Teicher,

ISBN 10: 0262581957 / ISBN 13: 9780262581950

Published by MIT Press (MA) August 2000, 2000

About this Item

According to N. J. Habraken, intimate and unceasing interaction betweenpeople and the forms they inhabit uniquely defines built environment. The Structureof the Ordinary, the culmination of decades of environmental observation and designresearch, is a recognition and analysis of everyday environment as the wellspring ofurban design and formal architecture. The authors central argument is that builtenvironment is universally organized by the Orders of Form, Place, andUnderstanding. These three fundamental, interwoven principles correspond roughly tophysical, biological, and social domains.Historically, 'ordinary' environment wasthe background against which architects built the 'extraordinary.' Drawing uponextensive examples from archaeological and contemporary sites worldwide, the authorillustrates profound recent shifts in the structure of everyday environment. Oneeffect of these transformations, Habraken argues, has been the loss of implicitcommon understanding that previously enabled architects to formally enhance andinnovate while still maintaining environmental coherence. Consequently, architectsmust now undertake a study of the ordinary as the fertile common ground in whichform- and place-making are rooted. In focusing on built environment as an autonomousentity distinct from the societies and natural environments that jointly create it, this book lays the foundation for a new dialogue on methodology and pedagogy, insupport of a more informed approach to professional intervention. The author's central argument is that built environment is universally organized by the Orders of Form, Place, and Understanding. These three fundamental, interwoven principles correspond roughly to physical, biological, and social domains. Very nice clean, tight copy free of any marks.

Seller Inventory # 329192

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Structure of the Ordinary: Form and Control in the Built Environment
• Publisher: MIT Press (MA) August 2000
• Publication Date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0262581957
• ISBN 13: 9780262581950
• Binding: Trade Paperback
• Condition: Used - Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Architecture - Theory

About this title

Synopsis

The influential Dutch architect's long-awaited manifesto on the everyday environment as the first and best ground for establishing the significance and coherence of architecture.

According to N. J. Habraken, intimate and unceasing interaction between people and the forms they inhabit uniquely defines built environment. The Structure of the Ordinary, the culmination of decades of environmental observation and design research, is a recognition and analysis of everyday environment as the wellspring of urban design and formal architecture. The author's central argument is that built environment is universally organized by the Orders of Form, Place, and Understanding. These three fundamental, interwoven principles correspond roughly to physical, biological, and social domains.

Historically, "ordinary" environment was the background against which architects built the "extraordinary." Drawing upon extensive examples from archaeological and contemporary sites worldwide, the author illustrates profound recent shifts in the structure of everyday environment. One effect of these transformations, Habraken argues, has been the loss of implicit common understanding that previously enabled architects to formally enhance and innovate while still maintaining environmental coherence. Consequently, architects must now undertake a study of the ordinary as the fertile common ground in which form- and place-making are rooted. In focusing on built environment as an autonomous entity distinct from the societies and natural environments that jointly create it, this book lays the foundation for a new dialogue on methodology and pedagogy, in support of a more informed approach to professional intervention.

About the Author

N. J. Habraken is Professor, Emeritus, of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.