The Breakdown of Language
Original term: The Breakdown of Language | Chapter/location: 13 | Chapter start page in the English edition’s table of contents: 225
Definition and core idea
Alexander argues that the tacit, shared knowledge of building has been weakened by specialisation and the separation of designers from users, and that this can produce environments out of keeping with lived experience.
Explanation and elaboration
In building traditions, spatial rules circulated between builders and users. In modern professional architecture, knowledge may be held by specialist groups and residents’ participation may be limited. The main critique is not aimed at expertise; it is aimed at the severing of design knowledge from experience and real need.
Notes and limits of interpretation
Caution in attribution
The contrast between a “harmonious tradition” and a “low-quality industrial age” is a historical simplification. Architectural and engineering expertise is also necessary for safety, technology and quality.
Relations to other concepts
Review questions
- What problem does this concept clarify?
- Which part is Alexander’s explicit claim and which part is analytical interpretation?
- What observations or evidence are needed to assess it in a real environment?