So FreeGreen claims that there have been over 77,000 downloads of their free or almost free house plans. That is a great start! I am very curious to know how many of their homes have actually been built. Regardless, the concept of allowing American homeowners easy access to responsible design is fantastic, and they have made it a reality.

Just as importantly, they have re-thought how architects deliver design. They have addressed the issues of cost, aesthetics, and scale, head-on. The plans are basically free, there are numerous options, and you can access and download the plans from anywhere that has an internet connection. As shown by their 77,000 downloads, their breadth is not limited to just a couple small suburbs near their office. FreGreen is obtaining funding from the manufacturers and sponsors that are carefully chosen to be responsible, objective choices. This is a business model that many other businesses use, but architects have traditionally shied away from. As a result the homebuilder has determined our built environment, and architects have become obsolete in mass-housing.

My proposal is something that could be described as a morphing of FreeGreen and Homestyler. I am suggesting a web interface of housing designs by various architects, with built-in customizable rulesets. Architects can upload their design frameworks and/or alter the components within the framework. Homebuyers can manipulate the designs within the ruleset, visualize the designs; and output construction, material, and cost data. Open-Source FreeGreen!