We all long to belong, to have a place we call home, a place where we feel free.  Is it possible to consciously create that experience in the world? I began my research into what makes people feel at home and experience being part of a community with the work of Christopher Alexander, a noted Professor of Architecture at Berkley. His writings have provided me with direction, clarity and a better understanding of what generates a sense of belonging and freedom. In the introduction to A Pattern Language, Alexander expressed a philosophy that reflects my own vision of life:

“In short, no pattern is an isolated entity.  Each pattern can exist in the world, only to the extent that it is supported by other patterns: the large patterns in which it is embedded, the patterns of the same size that surround it, and the smaller patterns which are embedded in it….This is a fundamental view of the world.  It says that when you build a thing you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must also repair the world around it, and within it, so that the large world at that one place becomes more coherent, and more whole; and the thing which you make take its place in the web of nature, as you make it” (xiii). 

Patterns Creating Community is a blog about my attempts to use the patterns from A Pattern Language to create a viable and vibrant community art center in Goshen, Indiana. We, my husband Randy and I, bought an old school that had set vacant and boarded up for a number of years. Our blog will document our progress, our adventures and our discoveries along the way. We would love to hear from other people who are working on creating community and a sense of belonging.

From Alexander’s A Pattern Language, we identified four patterns that we would immediately begin working on: #104. Repair the Site, #105. Develop South Facing Outdoor Spaces), #106. Create Positive Outdoor Spaces, and #111. Create Half Hidden Gardens. (See…..) we felt these patterns would have the biggest impact on our desire to create a welcoming community center where people could experience belonging.

We then identified additional patterns to incorporate into our restoration work.  Alexander writes that a building must carefully orient itself to the inside as well as the outside.  If it does not the space around the building will be useless and people will have to cross a barren wasteland to get to the building (753). I chose a secondary group of patterns designed to create a feeling that the building belonged on its site, #160. Building Edge, #161. Sunny Place, #163. Outdoor Room, #164 Street Windows, #165. Opening to the Street, and #167. 6-foot Balcony.  Working with our architect we began to develop plans to incorporate these patterns. (See ….)

And finally, we identified patterns that would have us grow and push out into the community—extend our edges. We could establish the existing art galleries, workshops and studio spaces as a Necklace of Community Projects (#46) and keep incorporating more spots. We could establish Connected Play (#68) and link up the adjacent soccer fields, little league baseball diamonds, and the Model School playground.  Then the green vacant space between could become a series of community Vegetable Gardens (#177). The produce growers could create Food Stands (#93).  We could make Bike Paths (#56) between all the spots. We look forward to the day when we really can include Settled Work (#156).