Sun Microsystems, Inc, creator of Solaris Operating System (OS), and TED Prize partners today unveiled the first open source online community to improve housing and living standards globally. An online gathering place-the Open Architecture Network-brings together architects, designers and community organizers to freely share blueprints, ideas and resources for improvement projects in areas affected by geo-political, environmental or economic hardship. Sun and 2006 TED Prize winner Cameron Sinclair showed the Open Architecture Network on stage today at TED 2007 in Monterey, California
At TED 2006, Sinclair, executive director and co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, presented to the TED community that he wanted to use design to improve living and housing standards around the world, helping communities in need and rebuilding areas affected by disasters. As an experienced builder of online communities, Sun Microsystems took the lead on the project to support Sinclair's wish and built a collaborative online platform-powered by eco responsible Sun Fire servers running the Solaris 10 OS and Sun StorageTek storage systems-to manage Architecture for Humanity's massive amount of designs, product specs, and databases of funding opportunities, resources and case studies.
"Sun believes that sharing and collaboration among communities is essential for solving the world's most pressing problems, like sustainable housing for people in need," said Ingrid Van Den Hoogen, senior vice president of brand at Sun Microsystems. "To build Architecture for Humanity's new Open Architecture Network, we brought the concept of open source in technology to architecture and design. Sun is pleased to lend its open source expertise and technology to a cause that stimulates innovation and builds community while helping participants from across the world grow and prosper."
The Open Architecture Network allows architects and community leaders to collaborate and share Creative Commons-licensed designs, building plans, blueprints and case studies of successful projects. The platform provides a conduit between communities in need and those who can give their expertise in design, funding assistance, and materials and construction. One Architecture for Humanity project, the Ipuli Center of Excellence, incorporates a medical clinic and school to train nurses in Ipuli, a small village in Tanzania. Prior to the development of the center, local women were traveling up to100 miles to deliver their babies and get other medical care. Its design will be housed on the Open Architecture Network for other communities to use.
"With the support of Sun and others we have developed an open platform for innovation, one that finally allows the design world to respond to some of the world's greatest needs," said Cameron Sinclair, executive director and co-founder of Architecture for Humanity.
Sun engineers in the U.S., Canada and India designed and built the infrastructure of the Open Architecture Network using Drupal open-source software. The Sun-built solution enables multilingual collaboration in real time and includes mechanisms for storage and communication. Tracking and reporting on projects in process can also happen through the site, satisfying funder and government agency requirements. Design collaborator Hot Studio contributed to the front end of the site, and the site is hosted by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) at the company's global headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Creation of Open Architecture Network is Latest Step to "Share the Opportunity"
The support of Architecture for Humanity and the creation of the Open Architecture Network is part of Sun's Share the Opportunity initiative, a global effort to help promote participation in social change. Sun believes the world is entering a new era - a Participation Age - where dramatically lowered barriers to entry, plummeting device prices, and near-universal connectivity are driving a new round of network participation. From blogs to Java technology, SMS messages to Web services, participants are forming communities to drive change, create new businesses, new social services, and new discoveries. This growth in the network economy is fueled by sharing and collaboration among communities interconnected by technology and driven by purpose. Sun also believes that sharing and collaboration in the Participation Age will stimulate innovation to help all participants from across the world grow and prosper.
Architecture for Humanity
Architecture for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and provides design services to communities in need. Currently it involved in the reconstruction of homes on the Gulf Coast, rebuilding after the South Asia Tsunami and the construction of healthcare facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. For more information, please visit www.architectureforhumanity.org
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TED is an invitation-only event where the world's leading thinkers and doers gather for inspiration and insight. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design -three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. Each year, TED features 50 of the world's most fascinating people. TED presenters run the world's most admired companies and design its best-loved products; they invent world-changing devices, and write best-selling books. They are trusted voices and convention-breaking mavericks, icons and geniuses.
Now in its third year, The TED Prize honors three extraordinary individuals with a wish to change the world, $100,000.00 (one hundred thousand dollars) in support of the wish, and the support of the TED community in making the wish come true.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
A singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- guides Sun in the development of technologies that power the world's most important markets. Sun's philosophy of sharing innovation and building communities is at the forefront of the next wave of computing: the Participation Age. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at http://sun.com.
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, Solaris, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. AMD, Opteron, the AMD logo, the AMD Opteron logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices.