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Ecopatterns
A Pattern Language for ecosystems.
Ecospheres, painting by
Gary Swift, 1970.
Hierarchy of Parts
As described in Anatomy of a Pattern Language, a pattern language consists of a hierarchy of parts linked together by patterns which solve generic problems. An example of a part in the ecosystem is the part coastal zone. The part coastal zone combined with other zones make up the part region. On the other hand, the part coastal zone can be decomposed into such parts as harbor, spit, bay, estuary, lagoon, penninsula, marsh, and beach.
A Partial Hierarchy of Parts for Ecosystems:
Region
Coastal Zone
Harbor
Spit
Bay
Estuary
Lagoon
Penninsula
Marsh
Beach
Other Zones ...
Some Example Ecopatterns
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For water conservation:
For waste management:
Please copy our Pattern Template to compose your own. Comments in the HTML source code provide directions.
Acknowledgments
Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure originated idea of a pattern language for the built environment. Some 253 of their most universally applicable patterns were published as A Pattern Language in 1977.This work is based on the Ecopatterns course, taught by Gary Swift and Ken Asplund at the School of Design, California Institue of the Arts, in 1973, where the pattern language was applied to ecological design problems.
