Concessions for an Open Architecture

....wow, I had to get that manifesto out first. I sat down intending to write about how freaked I was by the fact of my most huge of tasks.

In talking with Rami, Mary-Lou, and my peers about my potential thesis I got a swift kick to the head. The boot had a tread that etched "TOO BROAD" onto my forehead.

I'm attempting to infuse the creation of architecture with a sense of democracy. This is based on the development of our Urban Design Build Studio (website coming soon, we're working on it!) project and the Participatory Design process it was based on. That interaction was an amazing opportunity and privilege to be a part of. I feel we can go further. I'm excited by the prospect of a democratic design process but utterly scared of the prospect it might reduce to anarchy or a bureaucracy. Either case would stymie a project forever - not my goal. The increase of ownership in the eventual result for all parties. The fostering of common individual and global goals (sustainability, local greening, water management). That's what I would aim for.

The Open Architecture as I manifesto'd it suppresses a bit of the democracy in the design process in favor of a vibrant discourse post-production.
(I need to run to entropy before it closes, I'll pick up this thread later this week)