“ … there is a fundamental law about the creation of complexity … (which) states simply this: all the well-ordered systems that we know in the world, all those anyway that we view as highly successful, are generated structures, not fabricated structures.”
Christopher Alexander, The Nature of Order, 2002.

Order and Structure Research Lab was founded by Shiva Fallah Najmabadi, a graduate of the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL), who earned a Master of Research in "Space Syntax: Architecture and Cities" in 2021.

In this lab, order and structure form the conceptual foundation of how we understand cities, space, and social life. Structure refers to the underlying pattern of relations that gives space its logic—networks of streets, paths, depths, boundaries, and hierarchies that shape the possibilities and constraints of urban experience. Order emerges from within this structure: the patterns of movement, encounter, activity, and meaning that arise through everyday interactions. Contemporary theories—from Space Syntax to complexity science—show that genuine urban order is rarely imposed from above; instead, it grows from the ways people inhabit and negotiate spatial structures over time. The name Order & Structure reflects this belief: that to understand cities and design for their future, we must engage both with the deep configurations that frame urban life and with the living orders that people continually create within them.

This Lab operates within an interdisciplinary field blending spatial modelling, data science, and urban research to study patterns, behaviours, and transformations in cities. The aim is to not only reflect personal ideas and ongoing work, but also create opportunities for collaboration and teaching, particularly for those interested in this field.