def.: [oh-puh-n][bil-ding]

Open Building is a method of organizing and disentangling the home’s systems from each other to maximize resource the efficiency and flexibility of both construction AND future remodeling while reducing construction time. Wiring, plumbing and mechanical systems are segregated and easily accessed; walls don’t interfere with mechanical systems and structure, allowing fast, inexpensive remodeling, and ultimately recycling of building components at the end of their useful life.

Disentangled

By providing a clear organizational hierarchy of “levels” for all of the systems in a home, we have made it possible to disentangle them from one another – that is, to be able to access all of the systems in a home without negatively impacting the others. Open Building achieves this by: first, differentiating between “shell” (or “support” - the structure and skin of a home) and “infill” (interior walls, utilities, appliances, etc.); and second, identifying the anticipated life expectancy of each system and assigning priorities. If you want the structure to last, plumbing shouldn’t be buried in bearing walls.

Building materials come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, there’s no unifying set of rules in the US to make sure that they all play well together. The result is complicated details, difficult construction, and waste, waste, waste – waste that you pay for. One notable exception is the kitchen industry, which has evolved to share a common 3” grid. Kitchen cabinets can now be found in all styles and price ranges, and the system has become so accepted that even custom cabinetmakers use it. We apply a similar grid to our entire homes: structure, walls, doors, windows, and staircases now join with kitchens in harmony.

With this systematic approach to home construction, we are free to design each home specific to clients’ needs and site opportunities while benefiting from the “economies of scale” of factory production.

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This flexibility goes beyond initial design and construction. Now that all of the systems are separated from one another, changes over the life of your home become easier as well. Want to add structured wiring throughout the house? Pop off the wall base to reveal electrical raceways. Need to replace or move plumbing lines? No problem – replace your plumbing without knocking holes in the wall. In-laws moving to town? Reconfigure the living areas to make a separate suite. (Sometimes it may be too flexible!)