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An OPEN Manifesto

The world is a complex system of elements,
constantly interacting and in flux.
Architecture is a vessel, a medium through which to interpret
increasingly complex issues at work.
It is a means to gather and connect,
in meaningful ways.

We have been patiently in search of
architecture that is OPEN,
which establishes intricate relationships between
the forces in this confluence.
​​​​​​​Architecture that connects us with people—to meet, exchange, and share.
Architecture that connects us with nature—trees and birds, sea and land, air and light.
Architecture that connects us with ourselves.

These connections speak to how we imagine
our very human existence, among ourselves, and others of the world.
In the moments of dialogue we share,
new knowledge and friendships form, new ideas and reflections emerge.

To arrive at this point is a journey of discovery.
For each project, there is a new beginning.
We are eyes searching for hidden signs, ears catching imperceptible voices.
We must discover, within each project, what is really needed,
what is called for, and what must become.

All existing formulas, languages, and all that is taken-for-granted,
must be reconsidered and challenged,
until we arrive at the unfamiliar territory of new discoveries.

We are moving away from the established, the contemporary, and the expected,
away from image-making and smooth operations.
Our work starts from within, the core, the inside;
and then we carve our way out, with imagination.

Architecture must be radical, yet still deeply poetic.
It must ask radical questions, seek radical solutions,
enact change, and ask for engagement,
heighten awareness, and demand reflection.

Poetry exists in the sublime and mystical,
in the experience of the passing of time, in the sensing of minute details.
Architecture touches life in and around itself.
It creates the depth through which space and time are experienced.

Architecture must be authentic and grounded,
simple and relaxed. It must protect its own integrity,
so that those inhabiting it can be themselves with dignity.

Architecture must be modest.
Consuming minimal resources, minimising impact on natural surroundings,
it encourages generosity, in mind and in action,
to include, protect, care, and nurture.

Architecture need not be entirely completed.
It should leave space for improvisation
and the inevitability of future change.
Architecture must also be
a little humorous, surprising, and informal.

In the end, architecture will speak for itself,
have its own life,
tell its own stories.

This is the architecture of OPEN.

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