Christopher Alexander proposed to consider and design and construction of buildings and towns as Solutions to (design) Problems.
> This approachs keeps the definitions of problems an solutions litterally at close distance. A physical materialization of the pattern tells whether the solution and the pattern were a viable solution to the stated problem.
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viable | BrE ˈvʌɪəbl, AmE ˈvaɪəb(ə)l | adjective 1 (capable of maintaining life) lebensfähig keimfähig ▸ be more viable than … besser überleben als … 2 (figurative) lebensfähig ‹Staat, Firma› (feasible) realisierbar