Open building : a theory of housing for post-industrial society

Abstract

In the 1960s, the problems generated internationally by mass housing during the post-war era led to the recognition of the interrelatedness of the environment, buildings, time, and people. Habraken (1962) introduced the support-infill concept in housing to give the user a clear domain of control, which in turn gave rise to the idea of open building, which aims to satisfy various requirements at different times and to achieve a sustainable housing stock.

The last 40 years have witnessed a transition from an industrial to a post-industrial society around the world. This transition has brought with it new requirements for the housing industry. Despite this, most studies still focus on construction technology from an industrialization perspective, which is no longer the focal point of society. How the housing industry can be improved under these new circumstances is the question that this dissertation attempts to answer.

As a part of modern architecture, open building re-connects individual users with buildings, providing one answer to the above question. Without summarizing the whole of architectural history, it can be said that similar strategies and theories are found around the world.

This research aims to investigate the last 40 years of open building history, and to suggest how it might improve housing industry in post-industrial society. This research examines the history of open building by reviewing existing literature and open building projects of the past decades. A shift of technique from technical flexibility to spatial adaptability was found through classification. Many existing open building projects were found to be experimental and on a comparatively small scale. Very few projects tested the open building theory in the post-construction stage. 5 cases were thoroughly studied through a literature review, interviews, and qualitative analysis to gauge potential future development. A few non-architectural cases, such as IKEA furniture model, were also used to supplement this research. Several conclusions and recommendations were made. In the context of a post-industrial society, responding to open building theory, strategies for improving the housing industry should consider the post-construction stage, the concept of levels of individual involvement, and the combination of adaptable space and customized service, to achieve an ideal relationship between people and housing.

This research contributes not only to the theory of open building but also to the development of an architectural theory on people and buildings. Open building can guide the development of the housing industry along a more sustainable path.