Integrated open source architectural design for high density housing with computational control and management engineering the paradoxes of chinese housing architecture

Abstract

Housing is a collection of individual units based on negotiation between global standardization by the designers and local customization by the users after occupation. Due to the economic, industrial and time constrains, it is impossible to reflect users’ different needs in the design stage for high density housing. In response to this challenge, this research paper argues that the high density housing design can adopt the individual customization by the users in the design stage without paying significantly extra cost, hence the design process could be an open-ended evolutionary and transparent process rather than deterministic execution. To overcome the deficiency in addressing the future uncertainty by different users and the one-off development without the interactive mechanism for users’ feedback in the sub-sequential housing design and procurement, This essay proposes Integrated Open Source Design for Architecture (IOSDA) for housing design practice based on collective data and parametric connectivity between the end users and the designers, discussing how to integrate top-down mechanism with designer’s empirical inputs and the bottom-up ecosystems with users’ participation in high density housing design. IOSDA reflects a different attitude to design the future, which shifts from heroic prediction of the future to engaging the present grassroots, from board proactive reaction to the capacities for new possibilities.