Welcome to the tenth of a lecture series, “Form, Language, Complexity: Unified Architectural Theory”. This is Lecture 10: “Ornament and human intelligence”, by Nikos A. Salingaros, Professor of Mathematics and Architecture at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Included: How the brain’s development is influenced by the immediate environment. A child’s intelligence grows according to environmental cues, and adult intelligence is stimulated from constant information processing.

Unified Architectural Theory, Lecture 10: Ornament and human intelligence

Readings for Lecture 10: “Ornament and human intelligence”

  1. Alexander, The Phenomenon of Life, Chapter 11 (2001). 
  2. Mehaffy et al., New Patterns: HANDLES, and FRIENDLY SURFACES.
  3. Mehaffy & Salingaros, “Intelligence and the Information Environment”, Chapter 28 of Unified Architectural Theory. 
  4. Salingaros, “Ornament and Human Intelligence”, Chapter 27 of Unified Architectural Theory.
  5. Salingaros, “The Sensory Value of Ornament” (from A Theory of Architecture). 

Texts discussed:

  • Christopher Alexander (2001) The Nature of Order, Book 1: The Phenomenon of Life, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, California. Buy in the USA from: oxbowbooks.com and internationally from: eurospanbookstore.com or from any online bookstore.                     
  • Nikos Salingaros (2013) Unified Architectural Theory: Form, Language, Complexity, Sustasis Press, Portland, Oregon. Buy the paper book from the publisher in the USA levellerspress.com, European edition mijnbestseller.nl, and Asian Edition vajrabookshop.com.1