Print & assemble your own home

Enter WikiHouse, a community for open-source home designs. There you can mix and match architectural plans using Google SketchUp; once you've settled on your dream home, just print to your waiting CNC router and start building.

It began in 2011, as an experiment for the Gwangju Design Biennale in Korea. Designers Alastair Parvin and Nick Ierodiaconou started exploring practical applications of their philosophical commitment to a more democratized design movement. With this in mind, they created a blueprint that would allow everyday people to build their own homes using open sourced designs and locally sourced materials. They posted their designs and assembly directions online and encouraged anyone to try it out, iterate on it, and upload their own ideas. [1]

So far, 8 prototypes have been constructed, and the project was awarded the 2012 TED Cities 2.0 prize. As Ierodiaconou adds, “The factory of the future must be everywhere.”

The WikiHouse construction system is based on the use of plywood fins that connect together to form a robust timber frame structure. Once the fins are printed or cut out, the structure fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Without the need for any power tools, builders simply lay out the parts for each section before bolting together the layers to create individual sections. The sections are then positioned vertically before primary connectors are inserted between the sections to stabilize the structure. This is all achieved using wooden pegs and a mallet provided. Once all the secondary connectors are in place, the external cladding panels are screwed into position. The structure is then ready for insulation, cladding, sealing and wiring. [2]

[1] Ref. http://www.thecity2.org/stories/a-house-and-home-for-the-99

[2] Ref. http://www.gizmag.com/wikihouse-print-your-own-home-project/22548/