Patterns

The concept of patterns was introduced by Alexander, Ishikawa, Silverstein, King, Angel and Jacobsen in their seminal book ‘A pattern language: Towns, Buildings, Construction’ (1976), that presented an ‘archetypal language’ to universal problems found in the built environment. Patterns involve a generic set of ingredients and possible solutions, translatable to a wide range of conditions. Alexander (et al) wrote of some 253 patterns concerning the built environment. This systemic approach breaks down complexity into easily understood blocks of knowledge. The patterns facilitate constructive and solutions-oriented discussions amongst people with very different expertise and knowledge without either devaluing the richness of a topic or getting lost in detail. 

To define the patterns, we synthesised our research into a list of elements, until each could be translated into a hypothesis with a tangible solution. This process was reviewed and refined over a series of iterations, resulting in fifty individual patterns. The patterns were then developed further through discussion with local stakeholders and design based research to test the relevance of each pattern, resulting in regular adaptations to the titles and contents. Each pattern description consists of the context it is embedded in, problems that it tackles, forces that might influence it and at the core of the pattern ideas for possible solutions.

Patterns never stand on their own. They are linked to other patterns in terms of complementarities (solutions) or in terms of possible tensions (forces). Alexander (et al) referred to this as a pattern language. For example, the ambition to reuse waste will inevitably be linked to logistics, accessibility and particularly types of jobs which could represent some six to nine different patterns.

The patterns follow a standard structure for consistency and clarity. Their contents consist of an interpretation of fieldwork observations, interviews and spatial analyses and attempt to make the descriptions as specific as possible while rendering them transferable. Some of this is supported by quantitative data, while in other cases the descriptions are based on qualitative experiences or comments received from stakeholders in various cities. Regardless, the contents of these patterns must be interpreted according to the context where they are applied.

R.1 Making Making Visible

R.1 Making Making Visible

Manufacturers need visibility to connect their products and services with the local market, while ensuring that the general public values what manufacturing does for the city.…

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R.2 Transparent Making

R.2 Transparent Making

Providing transparency in environmental, economic, and social processes helps building trust and acceptance of urban manufacturing, while also founding a basis for interaction and collaboration between businesses.…

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R.3 Curator

R.3 Curator

The curator helps businesses or neighbourhoods by aligning interests, building partnerships, exploring needs, communicating news and protecting community interests.

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R.4 Availability of Diverse Jobs

R.4 Availability of Diverse Jobs

A diversity in job opportunities that are fairly distributed across the city allows for workplaces to fit the skills, capacities and interests of the local workforce, provides businesses with options for staffing while ensures cities are resilient and accessible.…

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R.5 Fair Work Conditions

R.5 Fair Work Conditions

Fair working conditions are integral for providing good quality output, a reliable and agile workforce, a strong brand and in turn to promote manufacturing businesses as a valuable source of employment.…

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R.6 Sustainable Product Cycles

R.6 Sustainable Product Cycles

Manufacturing contributes to city-scale circularity, helping reduce distances from resource to processing site, distribution and retail, and then to re-use, remanufacture, material recovery and back to the production cycle.…

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R.12 Material Database

R.12 Material Database

A centralised spatially connected database, containing data on flows of material (and waste), helps to facilitate and optimise local distribution of resources and maximise opportunities for material recovery.…

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C.1 Microzoning

C.1 Microzoning

Strategically enabling zoning exceptions can protect vulnerable land uses or provide the grounds for experimentation in mixing land uses and building types.…

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C.4 Diverse Tenure Models

C.4 Diverse Tenure Models

A range of land and property tenure models allows for manufacturing space to be accessible to businesses according to their financial means and ownership needs.…

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C.5 Varying Unit Sizes

C.5 Varying Unit Sizes

Variations of unit sizes help to promote a variety of business types and facilitates manufacturers growing or shrinking without needing to leave an established neighbourhood.…

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C.10 Transition Zones

C.10 Transition Zones

Zones adjoining industrial areas can provide ideal space for small to medium size manufacturing businesses and supporting services that help transition into mixed use and residential areas.…

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N.4 Clustering Similar Making

N.4 Clustering Similar Making

Clustering similar types of manufacturing promotes conditions for innovation, competition and collaboration while increasing access to staff and concentrating associated environmental issues. …

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N.5 Local Collection Points of Segregated Waste

N.5 Local Collection Points of Segregated Waste

To ensure full recovery of waste streams, non-domestic waste collection points must be both easily accessible and well distributed across the city, into segregated waste streams to guarantee homogeneity, purity and maximise value and recovery potential. …

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N.6 Centralised Logistics Zone

N.6 Centralised Logistics Zone

Central collective logistics space in accessible locations facilitates efficient delivery and discharge of goods while providing opportunities to store material or manufactured goods.…

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N.7 Local Design & Prototyping

N.7 Local Design & Prototyping

Locating R&D testing facilities for manufacturing within knowledge hubs such as technology parks, innovation districts, and research centres promotes synergies in the use of technology and transfer of knowledge.…

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N.9 Making Touches Making

N.9 Making Touches Making

Locating businesses according to similar environmental issues helps to minimise negative impacts of manufacturing by focusing on the block (noise and dust), streets (logistics) or neighbourhood (odours).…

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N.10 Making Along High Streets

N.10 Making Along High Streets

Concentrations of mixed use activities along high streets can take advantage of the best regional accessibility and the highest amount of pedestrian flows, enhancing visibility.…

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N.11 Back of the High Street

N.11 Back of the High Street

Locating manufacturing behind high streets, facilitates the movement of goods, provides flexible space for making, while located in proximity to complementary activities such as logistics, material suppliers and repair centres.…

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B.1 Making Around Courtyards

B.1 Making Around Courtyards

Organising manufacturing around courtyards inside blocks allows businesses to make noise, dust, move vehicles safely and provides additional space outside of the workshop area while allowing cohabitation with some forms of mixed use.…

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B.3 Public Face

B.3 Public Face

Activities which have a public interface achieve better neighbourhood integration and acceptance, while improving exposure to clients.

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B.5 Enabling Vertical Making

B.5 Enabling Vertical Making

Goods lifts and heavy load-bearing floors in multi-storey buildings allow for industrial intensification and for buildings to adapt according to demand for space.…

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P.2  Shared Making Spaces & Technology

P.2 Shared Making Spaces & Technology

Smart use of space and technology through sharing can increase accessibility to expensive equipment, make more effective use of technology, while encouraging knowledge transfer between manufacturers.…

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P.3 Flexible Spaces for Making

P.3 Flexible Spaces for Making

Meanwhile spaces can allow makers access to low-cost and low commitment access to space for making activities while also provide planners with a period to test new activities. …

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P.5 The Work Home

P.5 The Work Home

Homes can be a key part of local production processes and provide accessible and flexible income if domestic spaces and work-live concepts can be used for micro-manufacturing.…

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P.6 Re-use and Repair Centres

P.6 Re-use and Repair Centres

A network of local exchange and repair centres encourages re-use and re-circulation of consumer and professional goods, providing opportunities for local employment and community building.…

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P.8 Community Hub in Making Locations

P.8 Community Hub in Making Locations

An inclusive hub helps facilitate knowledge exchange, nurture a place-based network of makers, encourage collaboration and provide businesses with a space to discuss collective problems and opportunities.…

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