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Architects Apply Open Source Principles to Help Others

You know the results of FOSS communities are making a lasting impression when other groups try emulate their success by using the same concepts. The charitable organization Architecture for Humanity says they can bring about an "architectural revolution" by pairing the principles of collaboration and open source with needs of millions of people worldwide living in poverty today.

According to the Architecture for Humanity, one in seven people on the planet live in slum settlements, and the number will rise to one in three by 2020. Organizers say by pooling the thoughts, ideas, and designs of talented architects from around the world, they can help improve the living conditions of millions while protecting intellectual property rights under a Creative Commons license.

The group recently launched the Open Architecture Network, a Web site where building trade professionals can gather and collaborate online about ways to help communities in crisis and improve the built environment. It even offers open source architectural plans and blueprints right on the site.

While the group naturally seeks the input of people within the building industry, membership is also open to any group or person that can help strengthen the infrastructure of a newly-built community. The Architecture for Humanity is also looking for help from educators, healthcare workers, and technology partners.

The project came to fruition when Architecture for Humanity won a TED Prize in 2006 for its humanitarian efforts. Current supporters include Sun Microsystems, AMD, and Creative Commons.

• architects
• humanitarian relief

by Third World on Aug. 20, 2008

I think you guys need to wake up and smell the coffee. Where I come from, slums aren't planned, they aren't regulated (ok, maybe partially, once they reach a critical mass - at which point there's nothing much authorities can do to "change" the situation) and they aren't exactly funded. They form their own little ecosystems, with their own shops, doctors, crime, etc. etc. and over time become dilapidated sprawls that take a life of their own.

Now, I fail to recognize how the "Architecture for Humanity" plans to help one of these habitats that will not receive any govt. funding, don't have the capacity to self-fund, and, honestly, don't care about improving their living conditions because they've got to worry about putting food on the table - Think "Physiological" in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Theorizing and Pointificating about this stuff is good in textbooks and architecture school but the ground realities are very different...or I'm really pessimistic...

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by Richard Kim on Aug. 20, 2008

@Third World, Its attitudes like yours that impedes any kind of development

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by Bogdan Bivolaru on Aug. 26, 2008

I agree with 1crazykorean - that is the state of facts, but one can and must try to change it. That is how humanity moves forward, that is how we survived so far. Sitting and complaining ain't pushing us anywhere.

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by alwazer on Dec. 01, 2008

Thank you for this wonderful article

I am stimulated me from all the participants to prepare the architects of open source software in order to help it crucial to the development of the universe and this particular science

Brava to the article, further progress

Regards

وزير | منتدى | تفسير الاحلام | منتديات | برامج | مكتبة | صوتيات | العاب | قصص | مقالات | اخبار | ملتقى | فيديو |

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