A Camel is a Horse Designed by a Committee: The Case for Open Source Architecture
November 5 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
A Camel is a Horse Designed by a Committee: The Case for Open Source Architecture is part of the AIBC’s Fall 2025 PD Series.
What is meant by the phrase “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”? Is this true? Or is a camel really just a creature of an entirely other nature – an expression of function over form that evolved from a different set of circumstances?
The session will present a rationale for open source architecture; explore notions of a democratic design process; review examples of participatory design in architecture; and the manner in which standardization for off-site manufacturing can inform architectural design. Lastly, the session will illustrate the application of these ideas/principles through a review of the Standardized Housing Designs Catalogue published by the British Columbia Ministry of Housing in fall 2024, and discuss whether the project has had any identifiable impact on the housing crisis in British Columbia over the past year.
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time: 12 – 1 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost:$50 (Architect AIBC & Architectural Technologist AIBC); $40 (Intern Architect AIBC & Retired Architect AIBC)
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core
Registration: Register by 12 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2025
Presenter: Michael Leckie Architect AIBC
Michael Leckie is the Principal at Leckie Studio Architecture + Design, an award-winning multi-disciplinary design practice based in Vancouver. His work with clients across North America includes modernist single- and multi-family residences, heritage and industrial rehabilitations and conversions, and large-scale institutional projects. His firm led the design effort for the Standardized Design Catalogue – standardized, customizable residential building designs for people building small-scale, multi-unit housing on lots previously zoned for single-family homes and duplexes.