#26 - David Seamon

In this wide-ranging conversation, Angus talks with geographer and phenomenologist David Seamon about the life, work, and legacy of architect and thinker Christopher Alexander. Seamon, editor of the long-running journal Environmental and Architectural Phenomenology, explains what phenomenology is, why "lifeworld" and "natural attitude" matter, and how these ideas illuminate Alexander's quests for wholeness, life, and genuine beauty in the built environment. The two dig into Alexander's evolving methods—from A Pattern Language and The Production of Houses to The Nature of Order and the Japanese Eishin campus—probing both their power and their limits. Along the way, Seamon contrasts phenomenology with systems theory, discusses Henry Bortoft, Edmund Husserl, and others, and offers a candid, affectionate critique of Alexander's style, process, and publishing choices. The episode closes with Seamon's thoughts on place-making, climate, and why Alexander's work may be "for the future" more than for our present moment.