#961
Mentioned in 13 episodes
How Buildings Learn
What Happens After They're Built
Book • 1994
This book proposes that buildings adapt best when constantly refined and reshaped by their occupants.
It argues that architects can mature from being artists of space to becoming artists of time.
The book covers a wide range of architectural examples, from connected farmhouses in New England to I.M.
Pei’s Media Lab, and discusses the evolution of various architectural styles.
Brand emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in building design, criticizing modernist approaches that prioritize form over function and human needs.
He also highlights the different layers of a building (site, structure, skin, services, and space plan) and how each layer has a different lifespan and requires different maintenance strategies.
It argues that architects can mature from being artists of space to becoming artists of time.
The book covers a wide range of architectural examples, from connected farmhouses in New England to I.M.
Pei’s Media Lab, and discusses the evolution of various architectural styles.
Brand emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in building design, criticizing modernist approaches that prioritize form over function and human needs.
He also highlights the different layers of a building (site, structure, skin, services, and space plan) and how each layer has a different lifespan and requires different maintenance strategies.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 13 episodes
Mentioned by 
Morgan Housel while discussing the concept of magazine architects in relation to architecture and finance.
Morgan Housel while discussing the concept of magazine architects in relation to architecture and finance.
283 snips
Beautiful vs. Practical Advice
Mentioned by Geoffrey Litt as a book about environments that evolve slowly and gradually form around a person.
63 snips
21: Geoffrey Litt: Software You Can Shape
Mentioned by Stewart Brand as his best and most successful book, exploring the ongoing process of buildings adapting to their users and uses.
38 snips
Stewart Brand on Starting Things and Staying Curious
Recommended by Joel Hawksley as a book that explores how buildings adapt to their environment and owners over time, offering insights applicable to software engineering.
26 snips
Joel Hawksley: The Hidden Costs of Frontend Complexity
Mentioned by Nolan Gray in the context of how buildings and neighborhoods learn and adapt.
19 snips
#29 DEBATE: Chuck Marohn & Nolan Gray - Strong Towns & YIMBY Approach to the Housing Crisis
Mentioned by Nolan Gray in the context of how buildings and neighborhoods learn and adapt over time.
18 snips
Comparing the Strong Towns and YIMBY Approaches to the Housing Crisis
Mentionné par Sylvain pour son livre sur l'adaptation des bâtiments au fil du temps.
#127 Marcus Zepf · L’autopoïèse
Mentioned by Evan Henshaw-Plath as an example of Brand's diverse work, focusing on how buildings adapt.
S11 Bonus: Evan Henshaw-Plath (aka Rabble), Rabble Labs & Verse
