Archinect - Features

WikiHouse's lead architect on how open-source idealism could cure a sickly building market

2016-08-02T05:12:00-04:00

Working far beyond the simplistic notion of crowdsourced design, WikiHouse Foundation is a building system and a stamp of approval for open-source innovations around the building industry.

Opendesk, cracking the production code for open-source furniture

2016-03-30T15:12:00-04:00

Before the Industrial Revolution, if you wanted a new piece of furniture, you’d go to your local carpenter. Today, you’re more likely to buy a chair that’s made of Brazilian wood, designed by a Swede, and manufactured in China than one with even a single locally-produced nail. Enter Opendesk, a furniture company with a global network and local manufacturing model, which might just spark a new revolution in the industry.

Student Works: FOUNDhouse by Patrick Beseda and Lacy Williams

2014-02-05T13:56:00-05:00

When Patrick Beseda and Lacy Williams began realizing their ambition to build a micro-dwelling, they began with a Wikihouse design. The WikiHouse project is an open-source library of construction sets for houses, where anyone can submit, edit, and use the designs. The design's components can all be "printed" from plywood using a CNC machine, and are simple enough to assemble with minimal training. Lacy and Patrick, both MArch students at the University of Colorado, Denver, set out to build their own micro-Wikihouse last summer, personalizing the template along their way.