Iconic Architecture for the Masses

The Farnsworth House is an iconic masterpiece of the International Style of Architecture. It was commissioned by Dr. Edith Farnsworth and designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe between 1945-51. Now a joint venture between A Mies for All (AMFA) and Lexington, Ky.–based design and research studio Filson and Rohrbacher want to create a kit that would give anyone the opportunity to build their own Farnsworth House using local labor. In a day and age where open source design and access to everything under the sun is becoming the norm, one has to wonder if we are ripping off Mr. Mies or honoring his ideas.

CNC cutting and assembly of 1500 parts to produce a digitally fabricated superstructure of Mies van der Rohe's iconic Farnsworth House. Part of the A Mies for All exhibition at Hotel Droog Gallery in Amsterdam 15 July - 2 September 2015. A Mies for All is an initiative that aims to give to everyone the possibility to live in an iconic architecture – starting with Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House. A Mies for All touches on a century-old promise that forms the foundation of modern architecture – The democratization of quality architecture, comfortable living, and advanced achievement in art, culture and technology. A Mies for All hopes to revive and fulfill this promise of the modern within today’s contemporary technological and economical conditions. A Mies for All is a project based on a concept by Pierre Bismuth and Matthijs Bouw, and developed by One Architecture and Filson and Rohrbacher.