Traditionally characterized by its focus on bespoke designs and project-based services, Architecture is currently undergoing a notable transformation towards productization. This emerging approach challenges the conventional notion of buildings as unique creations and instead sees them as repeatable and scalable products. While traditional architectural practices have undoubtedly excelled in crafting remarkable built environments, they often encounter scalability, efficiency, and sustainability hurdles. Rising to face the difficulties, the idea of productizing architecture as a revolutionary element arising from a disruptor to the structural imprints of the industry grounds.
The Rise of Product-Based Approaches
In a report titled "The Next Normal in Construction: According to a report titled "Disruption, Change and Rewrite the Rules: How Construction Industry is Reshaping The World's Largest Ecosystem," by 2030 product- based approaches will change forever the way construction industry is known today. Pioneering startups like Moliving and Juno epitomize this shift by harnessing modular technology and prefabricated components to develop scalable solutions tailored to modern needs.
Moliving, for instance, has emerged as a trailblazer in the realm of nomadic hospitality, utilizing modular technology to effectively "productize" hotel rooms. By adopting this approach, Moliving offers sustainable and scalable solutions and significantly reduces construction time and costs, enabling hotels to be swiftly deployed at a fraction of the traditional expense. Similarly, under the guidance of BJ Siegel, former design director at Apple, Juno focuses on mass-timber housing, striving to democratize access to sustainable living spaces through innovative and scalable designs.
The Heart of Productization - Creating Buildings Worth Repeating
At the heart of the productization movement lies the concept of creating buildings worth repeating. Juno, for example, places a strong emphasis on investing in structural changes aimed at enhancing precision, efficiency, and overall quality, ensuring that each repetition surpasses the previous one. Prototyping plays a pivotal role in this iterative process, with Moliving and Juno undergoing numerous design iterations to refine their products for optimal scalability and sustainability.
Sustainability serves as a key driver behind the adoption of productized architecture. The first one we mentioned, Moliving, already uses modular construction technology, reducing waste on the building operation significantly compared to the second startup, Juno, which is all about carbon-sequestering buildings that utilize sustainable materials and processes. Through innovatively resurrecting old methods and adopting prefabricated assembly, these firms result in a substantial footprint, and likewise, neighborhoods and living units are more functional and productive.
Challenges and Necessary Reforms
On the other hand, it is necessary to have a deep yet fundamental reform in traditional architecture. This practice requires architects to take the system thinking approach, which may require intense cooperation between the engineering and designing teams and persistence when it comes to quality standards. Moreover, architects should have an excellent grasp of eyepiece needs and regional specifications, no matter where they are, if they are to come up with iconic designs that are universally popular.
While some challenges could accompany the process, the great effect is worth the effort. The architectural field is going through many similar changes thanks to productization, which is set to ignite long-due and much-needed disruptions in the building environment. Building firms can scale design and construction details, quality control, and economy of scale, which are tools to enhance the business. In the end, one can state that productization is not a closing chapter of a book but the first chapter or even the birth of a significant shift toward a more effective, sustainable, and inclusive architectural profession that may pave the way for a more promising future.
