What the study found
The special issue presents open building (OB) as a movement that has expanded far beyond its origin in postwar Dutch housing criticism. It brings together historical reflections, case studies, urban analysis, and pedagogical work showing how OB ideas have been applied, adapted, and discussed across many settings.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest OB remains relevant because it has been used to think about inhabitant agency, adaptability, and design for changing environments. They conclude that OB may help address climate instability, rapid urbanization, and the need for greater socio-spatial agency.
What the researchers tested
This is an editorial-style prologue to a special issue, not a single empirical study. It summarizes papers from a 2023 symposium and the articles that follow, including historical review, comparative case studies, a research building with sensor-based testing, school design examples, adaptive reuse proposals, a literature review that led to a planning toolkit, and a design studio study.
What worked and what didn't
Across the issue, several projects are described as supporting flexibility, adaptability, participation, and layered design. Examples include adaptable building supports in Patch22 and Top-Up, extensive research use of KUBIK, flexible school design strategies in California, and a proposed cultural-center conversion for Toma Church.
What to keep in mind
The prologue is a synthesis of other papers, so its claims depend on the evidence reported in those articles. Some examples are proposals rather than completed projects, and the abstract notes that results were uneven in the education study and that some ideas, such as future uses of Toma Church, remain proposed rather than tested.
Key points
- The special issue frames open building as a movement that has grown from postwar Dutch housing criticism to many contexts.
- The authors say OB may be relevant to climate instability, rapid urbanization, and socio-spatial agency.
- The issue includes case studies of adaptable buildings, a research building, school design, adaptive reuse, and a literature-based planning toolkit.
- The education study found uneven student results and limited development of technical and logistical skills.
- Some contributions are proposals or reflections rather than finished, long-term tests.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Special issue surveys open building’s past, present, and future
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-11
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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