The role of sequence in preserving structure

A generative sequence not only guarantees feasibility and the emergence of coherent form. It also provides the conditions in which structure-preserving transformations can occur successfully.

I can make the structure-preserving process work, only if things come at the right time, in the right order.

But suppose that, willfully, I place the tea house itself too early, because I think I know just the right spot for it! Then I have (without explicitly intending it) made commitments about the location of the inner garden, which may not be consistent with the larger issues. It may, for instance, now be difficult to get a nice path from the gate, through the outer garden, to the inner garden, and have the inner garden in a quiet place. I can probably still twist things around to make it work somehow. But I no longer have the ability in a relaxed, smooth, and simple way to do just what I have to do, what should be done, what is natural and necessary to do. In this case, my willfulness has disturbed the possibility of laying this garden out in a way that preserves the structure of the whole. As a result the chances of getting a living structure have been reduced. And all because I did things in the wrong order.

#book/The Nature of Order/2 The process of creating life/11 The sequence of unfolding#