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Master and Apprentices (83)

type: concept
updated: 2026-07-01
status: compiled
namespace: pattern-language
Source pattern from the abridged apl-md corpus. Use as a design reference and constraint seed; do not treat as commercial-clean training data.

Problem

The fundamental learning situation is one in which a person learns by helping someone who really knows what they are doing.

Solution

Arrange the work in every workgroup, industry, and office, in such a way that work and learning go forward hand in hand. Treat every piece of work as an opportunity for learning. To this end, organize work around a tradition of masters and apprentices: and support this form of social organization with a division of the workspace into spatial clusters—one for each master and their apprentices—where the group can work and meet together.

... the Network of Learning (18) in the community relies on the fact that learning is decentralized, and part and parcel of every activity - not just a classroom thing. In order to realize this pattern, it is essential that the individual workgroups, through- out industry, offices, workshops, and work communities, are all set up to make the learning process possible. This pattern, which shows the arrangement needed, therefore helps greatly to form Self-Governing Workshops and Offices (80) as well as the Network of Learning (18).

Arrange the workspaces as Half-Private Office (152) or Workspace Enclosure (183). Keep workgroups small, and give every group a common area, a common meeting space, and a place where they can eat together - Common Areas at the Heart (129), Communal Eating (147), Small Work Groups (148), Small Meeting Rooms (151) ...

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[!cite]- Alexander, Christopher. _A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction_. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 412.
#APL/confidence/medium

#APL/Town-Patterns/Social-Institutions---Workgroups

External links