WikiHouse

WikiHouse is an open-source project for designing and building houses.[1][2] It endeavours to democratise and simplify the construction of sustainable, resource-light dwellings.[1][2][3][4][5] The project was initiated in the summer of 2011 by Alastair Parvin and Nick Ierodiaconou of 00, a London-based strategy and design practice, in collaboration with Tav of Espians, James Arthur now with 00 and Steve Fisher of Momentum Engineering.[6][7] It was launched at the Gwangju Design Biennale in Gwangju, South Korea.[6][8][9] The project has since grown to become a worldwide community of contributors.[10]

WikiHouse prototype in Westminster

Concept
Scale models of two different WikiHouse designs

WikiHouse enables users to download Creative Commons-licensed files from its online library, customize them using SketchUp, and then use them to create jigsaw puzzle-like pieces out of plywood with a CNC router.[1][7] Construction of WikiHouse structures requires no special parts because the cut pieces of wood snap together with wedge and peg connections inspired by classical Korean architecture.[11][12] The frame of a WikiHouse can be assembled in less than a day by people with no formal training in construction.[11] The frame must then be finished with cladding, insulation, wiring, and plumbing before it can be inhabited.[2][12] The WikiHouse project is maintained by Open Systems Lab.[13]

History
A WikiHouse under construction at Ouisharefest in Paris, May 2013

After winning a cash prize at TEDGlobal in June 2012, the project invested the prize money into a partnership with the Brazilian youth mobilization project Dharma and the analysis agency BrazilIntel to build WikiHouses in the poorest favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[4] The goal of the partnership, dubbed WikiHouseRio, is to provide a single "maker lab" where one CNC router can be shared by the community while also allowing and encouraging community members to develop their own designing and building skills.[4][6] The WikiHouse team plans to eventually create similar maker labs in other underdeveloped communities around the world.[4] There are also plans to use WikiHouses as disaster-relief housing in earthquake-prone countries such as Haiti, Japan, and New Zealand.[3]

By December 2013, while there were no inhabited WikiHouses, there were a few completed prototypes in addition to a usable walkers' shelter in Fridaythorpe, England.[12] These WikiHouses are single-story, square-shaped structures with sloped roofs and small foundations that measure about 175 square feet (16.3 m2).[2] By 2015, several additional WikiHouses had been built, including the following buildings and at the following events:

Impact

Media reaction to WikiHouse has focused largely on the experimental nature of the project,[1][2] comparisons with IKEA furniture,[2][12] and the potential difficulty in finding and costs of using CNC routers.[1][4] American science fiction author Bruce Sterling also gave a review of the WikiHouse design, describing it favorably as a dwelling "I could quite likely build and inhabit, personally".[24]

See also

References
  1. LaBarre, Suzanne (25 August 2011). "WikiHouse, An Online Building Kit, Shows How To Make A House In 24 Hours". Co.Design. Fast Company, Inc. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  2. Kingsley, Jeremy (22 February 2012). "The WikiHouse Revolution". Slate. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  3. Borgobello, Bridget (15 May 2012). "WikiHouse: Get ready to design, "print" and construct your own home!". Gizmag. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  4. Isaacson, Betsy (1 March 2013). "WikiHouse Democratizes Design For Inexpensive, Easily Built Homes". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  5. "The Emergence of Open Construction Systems: A Sustainable Paradigm in the Construction Sector?". Journal of Futures Studies: 67–84. 2019-01-14. doi:10.6531/jfs.201812_23(2).0005. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  6. Parvin, Alastair; Nick Ierodiaconou (22 June 2012). "A House and Home for the 99%". CITY2.0. TED Conferences, LLC. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  7. Firth, Peter; Thomas Rees (5 August 2011). "Grand Designs: Open-source platform comes to housing". LifeStyle:News:Global. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  8. Hicks, Jesse (17 August 2011). "WikiHouse promises printable homes, work for the world's idle CNC routers". Engadget. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  9. "00:/ at TED2013". 00:/Blog. 00:/. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  10. "WikiHouse Community". WikiHouse. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  11. McNicoll, Arion (5 August 2013). "How to build your home from scratch for $35,000". CNN.com. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  12. Goodwins, Rupert (16 December 2013). "Meet The People Who Want To Print A Home In A Day". Popular Science. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  13. "Projects". Open Systems Labs. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  14. "WikiHouse Gives Architecture to the People". Global Lighting. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  15. Stott, Rory (September 22, 2014). "WikiHouse Unveils World's First Two-Storey Open-Source House at London Design Festival". ArchDaily. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  16. "FOUNDhouse". FOUNDhouse. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  17. "WikihouseUS/Vermont-Microhouse". GitHub. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  18. Bain, Duncan (15 July 2013). "MAKLab's Wikihouse: Day One". Open Source Architecture blog. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  19. "Wikihouse". Chop Shop. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  20. "Space Craft: developing WikiHouse in New Zealand". Space Craft Systems. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  21. "Wikihouse Project". SketchThis. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  22. "WikihouseUS/Alex-Wikished". GitHub. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  23. "Vienna Open". Vienna Open, Verlag Neue Arbeit. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  24. Sterling, Bruce (2 August 2011). "Architecture Fiction: WikiHouse". Wired. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
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