Derek Sherrell shows a low cost, open source house that he built in 90 days. He is giving away the plans for free for anyone who wants to build their own.

Open source is a wonderful concept that should be applied to everything, not just software.

  • @grue
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    26 days ago

    Did the guy explicitly say in his video that he intended these to be “open source?” 'Cause otherwise, as far as I can tell, there’s nothing that actually gives anybody else permission to copy, modify, and redistribute. In other words, they’re proprietary “freeware,” at best.

    The blueprint title block needs to have a field that explicitly names the license (Creative Commons or whatever), because otherwise it’s © Design Residential, Inc. All Rights Reserved, by default.

    • Eager Eagle
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      26 days ago

      he does mention they “open source everything they do to make housing more attainable and more affordable” at 10:48

      but I agree they need to put up a proper license

  • thejevans
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    3926 days ago

    very cool. don’t see a license, though. no open source license => not open source.

    • @JairajDevadigaOP
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      826 days ago

      Are house designs covered by copyright?

      You could always write to him and ask him to specify a licence.

      • thejevans
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        1826 days ago

        Architectural blueprints have been explicitly covered by copyright in the US since 1990, but were likely implicitly covered before then.

        He could always provide an open-source license before claiming that he is “open sourcing” his designs. You could always check for a license before claiming that something is open-source. Putting the onus on people after the fact to make those previous claims true doesn’t make any sense.

      • JackbyDev
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        26 days ago

        Yes. Under 17 U.S. Code § 102 (a) (8). Blueprints might be under (a) (5) too but I’m not an expert.

        (a) Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Works of authorship include the following categories:

        • (1) literary works;
        • (2) musical works, including any accompanying words;
        • (3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;
        • (4) pantomimes and choreographic works;
        • (5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;
        • (6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
        • (7) sound recordings; and
        • (8) architectural works.

        https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/102

  • @[email protected]
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    26 days ago

    If you want a more sustainable option (read: higher density, multi-family housing) that’s actually licensed openly, checkout Eco-Libre’s designs for the Launch-Nest.

    The structure is designed to house 30 people (18 meters x 7 meters, 5-stories high), off-grid solar PV (energy) and thermal (heating, cooking), and walls are made of CEB pressed on-site.

    Screenshot of a CAD file showing a 5-storey structure with 3 large parabolic solar concentrates on the rooftop
    Eco-Libre Launch Nest

    We’re still in the design phase, but the FreeCAD files are public and licensed CC BY-SA.

    • @[email protected]
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      26 days ago

      Gives me Ready Player One distopian trailer-homes stacked on top of each other Section-8/shitty favela housing vibes.

  • Irremarkable
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    1026 days ago

    Alright, gotta say that this is really cool. Has the same vibes as a Sears catalogue house, which is one of my favorite pieces of Americana.

    • @[email protected]
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      -126 days ago

      I think this is going to look like crap in 10 years. I support building your own, I just think it can be done way better.

      • Irremarkable
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        426 days ago

        It absolutely can be, and there are plenty of do it yourself plans out there. They just tend to be pretty expensive. It’s nice that there’s something out there now just completely open.

        • JackbyDev
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          326 days ago

          completely open

          They haven’t specifically given a license to use the blueprints, they’re just posted as a “free download”.