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How Buildings Learn - by Stewart Brand | Derek Sivers

sive.rs · 1,226 words · saved by 1 readers

I’ve read this book three times since 1999, and gifted it many times to others. It’s changed the way I look at buildings. I read it again now because I’m building a new house. Its main idea is that all buildings are predictions, and all predictions are wrong, so design to make them easy to change. I think of it metaphorically in life: assuming my predictions about what I want will probably be wrong, so make my life easy to change. Get the paper book because the photos are crucial. All buildings are predictions, and all predictions are wrong. Design so that it doesn't matter when they're wrong. Whatever a client or architect says will happen with a building, won't. Whatever you are ready for, doesn't happen. Whatever you aren't ready for, does. A building can't be finished. Because buildings discount time, they misuse time. Almost no buildings adapt well, but all buildings adapt anyway. Layers, on SITE (unchanging), from outside in: SKIN: changes every 20 years, air-tight, better i

All buildings are predictions, and all predictions are wrong. Design so that it doesn't matter when they're wrong. Whatever a client or architect says will happen with a building, won't. Whatever you are ready for, doesn't happen. Whatever you aren't ready for, does. A building can't be finished. Because buildings discount time, they misuse time. Almost no buildings adapt well, but all buildings adapt anyway. Layers, on SITE (unchanging), from outside in: SKIN: changes every 20 years, air-tight, better insulated STRUCTURE: foundation & load-bearing, rarely changed SERVICES: changes every 7-15

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