The mind's eye as a design principle

Lucius Burckhardt
(1925-2003) outlined his theory of the "smallest possible intervention"
back in the early 1980s. The idea of minimal intervention runs through
his entire oeuvre, from his critique of urbanism to the science of
walking. The "smallest possible intervention" denotes a planning theory
that assumes two "views" within landscape design: that which is actually
visible and that in our mind's eye. The theory of the minimal
intervention means not interfering excessively with the existing
landscape, but instead working with the landscape in our minds to
develop an aesthetic understanding of the environment. In this book,
available for the first time in English, the Swiss sociologist applies
this formula to many areas of design.

• Intellectual distillation of Lucius Burckhardt's theories available for the first time in English
• Exploration of the relationships between planning and building
• Rationalization and needs