About Open Architecture Network
Open Architecture Network was a open-source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. Here designers of all persuasions can:
- Share their ideas, designs and plans
- View and review designs posted by others
- Collaborate with each other, people in other professions and community leaders to address specific design challenges
- Manage design projects from concept to implementation
- Communicate easily amongst team members
- Protect their intellectual property rights using the Creative Commons "some rights reserved" licensing system and be shielded from unwarranted liability
- Build a more sustainable future
Who is Behind This?
Worldchanging is the brainchild of Architecture for Humanity and the designers who volunteer with us and through our local chapters. It grew out of our collective frustration in sharing ideas and trying to work together to address shelter needs after disaster, in informal settlements and in our own communities. Architecture for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and brings design services to communities in need. To learn more about our work, please visit our website.
Who Else is Behind This?
In 2011, Architecture for Humanity acquired Worldchanging and merged it with the Open Architecture Network, which was the result of a yearlong partnership that began in spring 2006 when Architecture for Humanity won the prestigious TED Prize. Each year the TED community honors three individuals who have positively impacted life on this planet. Recipients are granted one wish to change the world. Members of the TED community voluntarily contribute to granting the wish, by offering their resources and talent. Our wish: To build on our success creating opportunities for architects to help communities in crises. We envisioned a truly collaborative online community and gathering place for those dedicated to improving the built environment. Sun Microsystems, Hot Studio, Creative Commons, AMD and other partners joined Architecture for Humanity in realizing this ambitious undertaking, and at this year's TED conference, together we launched a beta version of the Open Architecture Network: the first site to offer open source architectural plans and blueprints on the web.
Who Will the Open Architecture Network Serve?
Architects, designers, engineers and anyone else involved in the building trades is welcome to share their ideas on Worldchanging - but the site is not just for professionals. Community leaders, nonprofit groups, volunteer organizations, government agencies, technology partners, healthcare workers, educators and others are also invited to collaborate on projects and share their expertise. After all if we're to meaningfully address the challenges of building a sustainable future, we'll need (a lot of) help from people of all walks of life.
What is Our Goal?
Far from replacing the traditional architect, the goal of the site is to allow designers to work together in a whole new way, a way that enables 5 billion potential clients to access their skills and expertise. The network has a simple mission: to generate not one idea but the hundreds of thousands of design ideas needed to improve living conditions for all.
The History
Open Architecture Network was formed after one of its founders, Cameron Sinclair, won the 2006 TED Prize from the Technology Entertainment Design conference. The prize awards each recipient 'one wish to change the world'. The Beta Version launched at TED2007 on March 8, 2007. Shortly after the launch AMD announced the sponsoring of the 2007 Open Architecture Challenge, an open design competition to develop technology facilities in the developing world.
The Plan
Create an online network dedicated to enhancing living conditions through sustainable design. The open-source platform will allow designers to share architectural plans and blueprints on the web, and allow for easy collaboration between designers facing similar creative challenges.
The Objective
The aim of the network is to allow architects, designers, innovators and community leaders to share innovative and sustainable ideas, designs and plans. View and review designs posted by others. Collaborate with each other, people in other professions and community leaders to address specific design challenges. Manage design projects from concept to implementation. Protect their intellectual property rights using the Creative Commons "some rights reserved" licensing system and be shielded from unwarranted liability.
Current Status
Worldchanging (formally Open Architecture Network) empowers nonprofits, foundations and social entrepreneurs with the tools they need to develop, project manage and share their impact. Since its inception, it has built a community of over 38k building professionals who utilize tools to design and build structures for more than 1.6M people in over 70 countries. In 2012, the site was used for community led development for thousands of homes in Haiti and Japan after recent natural disasters. Read more about Open Architecture Network on Wiki
