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Open source architecture: a question mark

Open source is a process of production and development that promotes access to the source of the final product, in order to improve and adapt it to your needs. Based on collaboration and sharing of knowledge between different users, open source has emerged in the field of software and hardware, but there are many similar applications in other fields. There is a possibility of applying the concept of open source in the field of architecture? sesiste and if, through what procedures you can implement? The purpose of this post is to understand what might be meant by architecture open source and present some examples of excellent studies that apply to our

Small introduction: this topic here you can not escape in a single post, in fact this post here should be a continuation of the third post but it was reckless, then who knows you can not straighten the speech and adjust your aim ... if I can not, amen, if they are not clear, re-amen ..

Small premise: We live in strange days

the threshold of the third millennium, we realize that more than half the world's population lives in cities and half of this approximately 30% live in a slum ( slums or for noiartri). The problem is not so much the numbers and proportions (large city = big problems?), But a humanitarian problem (I would say that it is no exaggeration to call it that): the city is not very often able to provide welfare to all its inhabitants, when it comes to the metropolis or megalopolis that is a fact almost certain. Wanting to find the causes of this can be summarized by saying that since the end of the seventeenth century onwards, there has been a slow and gradual shift of population from cities to the countryside (and not vice versa) due to different economic social and political phenomena that we could summarize in large pot of industrial revolution and capitalist development. Effect of this shift (which is called urbanization compared to the life cycle of a city was a rather sudden, with some peaks, just think of urbanization of the Italian cities by the economic boom on) is that the city has transformed itself from a balanced place in many ways and in general a degree of harmony with the environment (the outside of the walls, so to speak) in a generally unsustainable and in special cases in a crowded, unhealthy, dangerous, ghetto, alienated, poor, and so on .... So the establishment
city, after years of honorable service, you can not stand behind modernity of poured and its instances and is therefore crucial in a crisis that undermines its very existence and the proper conduct of his duties. Do not panic



What is the problem? Recognized the existence of the problem enough to find solutions and that's it. Except that the proposed solutions are many, tend to be discordant and difficult to verify. I think the question is this: you have to solve the housing problem of millions of people who live in cities so that no decent definition is euphemistic. The solution may be summarized as follows: if a person had any problems related to its habitat if this habitat and matched to the city, would be very convenient to solve the problem without spending a lot of resources, drawing on the experience of others who have had the same problem, but coming to a solution costumizzata (and not copied and standardized, risking the effect banliue for instance) that meets the needs and is easily accessible (all in the spirit of urban sustainability, of course). Easy! Provide a solid base to anyone who needs a house, leaving it to develop himself according to his needs, while minimizing costs to the community and increasing the benefits in terms of satisfaction and well-being of the final solution. Very interesting and utopian idea as a potentially unmanageable in its construction (for as I have described it can also imagine how a huge American suburbs and sprawlizzata tristanzuola rather than a dynamic model, efficient, economical and sustainable ...)

Open Source Architecture: This unknown

So: what practical solutions (sustainable and perfect in every respect, like Mary Poppins ) we have arms in the world for building and planning (worlds closely related to urban issues)? Above all, what approach may be suitable for different types of urban habitat (and beyond)? If you are a good detective, the answer already imagine ... but obviously architecture open source! But
proceed in stages. It has been said that there is a pattern of development of various entities (I have this software and hardware, but there could be others) defined as "open source" which is based on instances of simple, economical, most sustainable and can meet many need, even the most disparate (if we talk about software: operating systems, games, browsers, graphics programs, programs office etc etc, when it comes to hardware: computer hardware type arduino, open pc, but also implants and other examples but I do not know for sure there are). This development model is based on the identification of a source and development of the same according to the needs of users, a development that is based primarily on the sharing and participation. This model appears to be particularly successful in the software world and effectively. The question I ask is this: you can transfer the development model of open source to the city and in particular building? If so, what are the most important elements to consider as you progress in its structure, how you can control the development process in order to avoid harmful aberrations?
Assume that the answer to the first question is yes, and that this is good news: a working model that has several fields of applications can be effective even in a field such as architecture. Someone will ask: "What need is there, not just what we already have?" Probably enough (I think not), but the open source model, being based on the sharing (and mouth) is a model that can be said quickly and maybe you can solve problems on a large scale (and demonstrated in software).
My second question, which I have no answer. But there is no need, because already there are some shining examples that can do the job, including:

-the language of pattern (a pattern language);
open-residential buildings (residential open buildings);
-urban utopias (Yona Friedman in the first place but also others);
-occupations of various kinds (hausprojekt, cortical and struggles for housing in general);
-informal dwellings of various types and title (slums , favelas, slums, camps, etc.);
-l 'incremental housing;
-building systems of various kinds (to allow some flexibility and relative ease of implementation and installation, in general I think the DIY systems);
-so on and so forth;

Now let's see briefly what it is and why these examples can be considered fully (or even partially) examples of application of open source model in architecture (the description that follows is by no means exhaustive, I think in future we will be accompanied by images of specific posts, who will look into various issues listed above):

The language of pattern (a pattern language)

directly from the research of Prof. . Architect Christopher Alexander language patterns ( A Pattern Language, 1977 ), which is a nice compendium of elements (patterns) that can bring together as needed to solve problems of urban and architectural practical example is well exposed in The production of houses, always at 1985 signing of the aforementioned Alexander, who exemplifies good use of the pattern, the participatory component (necessary for the development of the project open) and the assembly work (on a system of self-construction)

The residential buildings are open (open residential buildings)

Tied

mostly to 'Open Building Movement are based on studies of Professor N. John Habraken (from Supports, an alternative to mass housing, 1962) is proposed in which a substantial division between "support" or infrastructure, by the designer, and equpaggiamento inside an apartment building, left largely to the initiative of ' User final.

urban utopia ( Yona Friedman & friends)

Here I am on a ground not easy and I know too little .... Better! There will be a lot of stuff to learn! Principles autopianificazione but above considerations about the role of the architect ... you study, I refer to September alone.

occupations of various kinds ( hausprojekt , cortical and struggles for housing in general)

buildings occupied by their inhabitants, tend to overcrowding, which serve as the residence without being thought to be. There are many different types, from the occupied social centers (And here too there are different types) to cortical public buildings occupied by family soo homeless or homeless. The building lost its original function and is reduced to simple shell hosting from time to time people and different functions that contribute to the transformation of the building.

Incremental housing

That is the home to evolve (which I do not know if it's a word that exists, we say then that house can evolve), a base, a core (or an embryo, call it what you want) for Sale initial, necessary to meet the housing needs of more demanding, you can develop full house and worthy. Simple no? This is a building (or set of buildings) in an embryonic state, which is already designed their evolution planivolumetrica. If this increase in terms of shape and type is almost set but not in terms of finishes and the like.
The explanation is more successful if accompanied by the following links:
explanation in Inglese
incremental housing in chile by elemental
incremental housing in India

building systems of various types, gender and grade
the clay to example, in some of the arts world can be a low-cost building material that requires no special technology nor Patent ... buildings with local materials in general, or modular construction systems of simple construction, hybrid materials ... is a somewhat 'large and very concerned that the technology architecture ....

rambling

Ok, the general overview has been made, there is material here for a lifetime of study, in the next issue you try to get closer to the heart of the matter, I hope!