Student’s assignment from my theory class to illustrate Christopher Alexanders 15 principles in a more elaborate way. I have discussed this earlier too here. I feel it is a brilliant and useful structure with a potential to interpret in many ways. In this case the assignment was to relate each principle with 3 illustrations : a natural/scientific phenomena, a place/project visited, a palace/project studied. Krithika reinterpreted Christopher Alexander’s principles in a very comprehensive way. She uses this theory assignment as an ‘organising tool’ to structure her own experiences and ideas. She brings back her experiences from various study trips and measure drawing trips and weaves them to make her specific set of ideas which she can revisit. The tool of collage format (sticking photos + hand drawings) also enhances the value to this exercise of organising ideas.
Malcom Gladwell in an interview the phrase ‘theory as organising tool’, which completely aligns with this ordering of ideas in this assignment here.
“Interviewer : That’s why reviewers say you bring “intellectual sparkle to everyday subjects”. Is this a deliberate approach?
Gladwell : Yeah, it’s deliberate. I’ve often observed that people are experience-rich and theory-poor. All of us have an enormous wealth of stories and experiences. But what we lack is the means to make sense of all that, to organise it, to understand it and to comprehend it. My books are addressing that. I’m not telling you facts you didn’t know before. You’ve all been in situations I’m describing. What I’m doing is saying, here’s a way of organising your thoughts.” (emphasis mine)
(Interview with Jinoy Jose P, The Hindu, Magazine, Dated Feb 23, 2020)
Credits : Krithika A Jain, Batch 2018, WCFA
Click on the images to enlarge.
mofussillab 
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