If we examine the patterns as they are presented in full, in the Appendix, we shall see that each pattern has two parts: the PATTERN statement itself, and a PROBLEM statement. The PATTERN statement is itself broken down into two further parts, an IF part, and a THEN part. In full the statement of each pattern reads like this:
IF:X THEN:Z / PROBLEM:Y
X defines a set of conditions. Y defines some problem which is always liable to occur under the conditions Z. Z defines some abstract spatial relation which needs to be present under the conditions X, in order to solve the problem Y.
In short, IF the conditions X occur, THEN we should do Z, in order to solve the PROBLEM Y. [p. 17]
This page is part of A Pattern Language Which Generates Multi-Service Centers (1968)