CHAPTER EXCERPT::

Architects add value to their clients’ lives by customizing the fit between needs and environment. But what are the options for the 98% of homebuyers that cannot afford the services of an architect? Can we envision new tools and methods that empower them to shape their own environments to their needs? One emerging technology that may help us accomplish this goal is that of reconfigurable construction systems. Reconfigurable construction systems are changeable assemblies of building components like walls, ceilings and floors that allow building users to personalize their environments. Reconfigurable construction systems can make it possible to modify a building during and after construction at little or no cost to the user. Architects in service to the community can employ these systems to increase user input to the design process and reduce the time they spend redrawing changes. The increased adaptability of buildings using reconfigurable construction systems can conserve environmental resources, save money and preserve our architectural heritage by encouraging reuse and redesign of existing structures. While no current construction system attains the ideal of total reconfigurabilty, we can begin a discussion by analyzing four different approaches to this problem.