The Language of Patterns

This book, first published in 1977, presents a radically new approach to architecture and construction. The authors believe that people should design their own homes, streets, and neighborhoods, and this idea is based on a simple observation: the most remarkable... places on the planet were created not by architects, but by ordinary people.
The book describes a «language» for designing the environment, the units of which — patterns — answer architectural questions: how high to make windows, how many floors a building should have, how much area in a neighborhood should be allocated for trees and lawns. The edition contains over 250 patterns — each includes a description of a specific problem, its discussion supported by an illustration, and a solution.
With this book, it is possible to design a house for oneself and one's family, develop a project for an office, workshop, or public building, improve one’s neighborhood together with neighbors, and even the entire city.