The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge An Essay by Abraham Flexner press.princeton.edu A curious factRoaming and capriciousUseFreedomThe Institute for Advanced Study+2 More The research agendaThe technology shelf knowledgelearningdiscoveryprogressexperiments
197. Thick Walls Problem Houses with smooth hard walls made of prefabricated panels, concrete, gypsum, steel, aluminum, or glass always stay impersonal and dead. Solution Open your mind to the possibility that the walls of your building can be thick, can occupy a substantial volume—even actual usable space—and need not be merely thin membranes which have no depth. Decide where these thick walls ought to be. Christopher Alexander, Murray Silverstein & Sara Ishikawa, A Pattern Language Zeniba's house