Open Process Ecosystems

David Tapias Monné, Duncan Maxwell

Publications: Contribution to conferencePaperResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

There is a global interest in large-scale construction and development companies in the application of Product Platforms to achieve a repeatable industrialized house-building system. This paper analyzes and evaluates several Product Platform aspects-modularity, commonality, scalability, resilience, adaptability, flexibility-in light of the particular challenges of multi-storey houses design and manufacturing. We identify and describe these challenges as: Inhabitable space and time. Site specific. Exposed to climate and weather. Lifespan and durability. Size and weight. The convergence of these variables is particular of architectural design discipline. The results show that the complex design needs and constraints of industrialized house-building are not fully covered by Product Platforms, and therefore a more suitable system architecture is needed. Accordingly, in this paper we focus on the following questions: Which design and manufacturing processes can we develop in order to provide a better answer to the specific challenges of multi-storey housing production? How can a specific architectural design approach help to shape these processes? After a comprehensive Product Platforms literature review, this paper introduces the original definition of Open Process Ecosystems as a suitable system architecture, which includes several Product Platforms qualities, but shifts from product to process, and from platform to ecosystem. Additionally, we inquire which parts of this Process Ecosystem work better by being open, welcoming as much heterogeneous and uncertain uses, components, agents and contexts as possible. The paper concludes that Open Process Ecosystems could be a proper systematization framework for an efficient, ecological and successful multi-storey habitats design and manufacturing enterprise and indicates topics for future research.
Original languageEnglish
Publication dateSept 2018
Number of pages13
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2018
Externally publishedYes
EventAnnual Design Research Conference - School of Architecture, Design and Planning The University of Sdyney, Sydney, Australia
Duration: 27 Sept 201828 Sept 2018

Conference

ConferenceAnnual Design Research Conference
LocationSchool of Architecture, Design and Planning The University of Sdyney
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CitySydney
Period27/09/201828/09/2018

Keywords

  • architecture
  • industrialised architecture
  • building culture

Artistic research

  • No

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