Christopher Alexander believed that, by defining the wisdom of how incremental decisions can be intentionally made, architectural space will unfold that feels alive, vital, allowing others to be able to create spaces that feel alive. It was with that intention that he developed his pattern languages.
He came to discover, however, that these pattern languages were not enough. While they might be followed, the spirit did not necessarily flow, that which allowed Regenerative Unfolding. Something deeper needed to be understood.
So he set about to explore what he called the foundational properties of beauty that, when present, allowed beauty to unfold. He defined fifteen.
We distilled them to three, three that could unfold the fifteen: 'wholeness', 'goodness', and 'delight' so that we might be guided each and every moment in our intention to cultivate beauty, unfolding Natural Order.
We intentionally create with beauty in our mind's eye to guide us. Paying attention, seeking wholeness that fulfills our originating intention and then honing to goodness, a sense of internal elegance. From there we step back and gaze upon our creation, wondering about its potential to delight our future self or others. Only when we are confident of this potential do we let our creation go, knowing that it will inspire a larger unfolding.
Our commission as humans, sacral beings in secular skins, is to create beauty, beauty in matter, beauty in meaning, beauty that flows through us from deep Sacred Rivers inside.
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