A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction is a 1977 book on architecture, urban design, and community livability.

It was authored by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein of the Center for Environmental Structure of Berkeley, California, with writing credits also to Max Jacobson, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King and Shlomo Angel.

According to the authors, the work originated from an observation: At the core […] is the idea people should design their homes, streets, and communities.

It describes exact methods for constructing designs at every scale, from entire regions, through cities, neighborhoods, gardens, buildings, rooms, built-in furniture, and fixtures down to the level of doorknobs.

The empirical questions center on the problem—does it occur and is it felt in the way we describe it?—and the solution—does the arrangement we propose solve the problem?

Make them intimate places, with several rooms, open to a busy path, so people can sit with a coffee or a drink, and watch the world go by.