Integrated Open Source Design for Architecture in High Density Housing Practice

Abstract

High-density housing can be interpreted as collections of individual units, which inevitably results in the dilemma between the global standardization designed by architects and local customization implemented by users. However, it is impossible to reflect the users’ various needs in the conceptual design stage for high-density housing because of the economic, industrial and time constrains. In response to this challenge, this research paper outlines a different high-density housing design approach that can adopt users’ individual customization in the conceptual design stage during the housing design practice. Hence, the design process would be an open-ended evolutionary and transparent process rather than deterministic executions as we have now in most high-density cities, such as Hong Kong. In order to overcome the deficiency in addressing future uncertainties of different users and address the issues of one-off developments without iterating users’ feedback in the housing practice, this essay proposes IOSDA (integrated open source design for architecture) for the design practice of high-density housing, through collective data and parametric connectivity between users and architects. IOSDA reflects a different design attitude towards the future, i.e., to shift from architects’ heroic prediction of the future to collective engagement of the present with more robust capacities for new possibilities.