Will Open Source Democratize Architecture?

Architecture does not change anything. It’s always on the side of the wealthy. The important thing is to believe that it can make life better.” — Oscar Niemeyer

As much as we’d like to deny it, Niemeyer makes a valid point here. Architecture—as it's traditionally understood—is almost always “on the side of the wealthy”; the profession, as it has existed for about a century, rarely changes anything; and yet – and yet – it can make life better. If only for a select few.

But what if architecture could make life better for the many. What if good-quality, life-bettering architecture were open-source and available to download off the internet? For free?

Well, thanks to Paperhouses, it already is.

While other sites have offered downloadable plans before—most notably Wikihouse—the idea behind Paperhouses, founded by Joana Pacheco, is one based on collaboration [...].