Open Source Architecture

by Carlo Ratti, Matthew Claudel

Open Source Architecture is a visionary manifesto for the architecture of tomorrow that argues for a paradigm shift from architecture as a means of supporting the ego-fueled grand visions of starchitects to a collaborative, inclusive, network-driven process inspired by twenty-first-century trends such as crowd-sourcing, open access, and mass customization. The question is how collaborative design can avoid becoming design-by-committee. Authors Carlo Ratti and Matthew Claudel navigate this topic nimbly in chapters such as Why It Did Not Work and Learning from the Network. They also meet the essential requirement of any manifesto, considering the applications of open-source architecture not only conceptually but also in practice, in chapters such as Open Source Gets Physical and Building Harmonies. Open Source Architecture is an important new work on the frontlines of architectural thought and practice."

Genres: Architecture, Cities, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2014

Reviews

[Oriana Torcasio]

The perfect architecture book for an architecture-loving non-architect.

Albeit very niche in scope, I found the central thesis around collaboration and open-source design highly applicable to many other facets of my day-to-day life (technology, cooking, finance, legislative drafting…).

Kudos to the authors and adjunct editors behind the book for producing an impressively consistent and persuasive authorial voice.

[Kin]

งานนี้เขียนโดยคนหลายคนแบบไม่ระบุด้วยว่าใครเขียนตรงไหน โจทย์หลักๆ คือการเสนอความเป็นไปได้ของการทำงาน(สถาปัตย์)แบบ c0llective commons ไม่ใช่งานที่ยึดติดกับความยิ่งใหญ่ของตัวผู้สร้างหรือตัวศิลปินและผูกอยู่กับความเป็นเจ้าของผลงาน ถ้าไม่มีความรู้ด้านสถาปัตย์หรือศิลปะเลยจะค่อนข้างอ่านยาก แต่ก็ท้าทายความคิดของเราดี

[Banyapon Poonsawas]

This book would be a great choice for anyone who is interested in learning more about open-source architecture.

I also think that the book's emphasis on collaboration and transparency is important in today's increasingly complex world.

[Andrea Padovani]

Un bel saggio sui nuovi modelli di architettura per costruire un futuro più sostenibile

[Derek Ouyang]

Met Carlo in 2014 and have been meaning to read this. provocative synthesis of many ideas I care about, and highly relevant to my current projects. but for anyone else, probably not worth the read.