Enzo Mari's Autoprogettazione

How Design Became Empowering

By Archiyou
On 1/21/2025

Do-it-yourself (DIY) design—or more broadly, open design—arguably found its most iconic expression in Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione (1974), a catalog of plans that invited people to build their own furniture.

The URBUILD construction system

By Daniel
On 1/16/2026

Urbuild is architecturally smart because it combines a modular, biobased, and flexible building system with maximum choice in the degree of prefab and personal input. This makes sustainable building simpler, more affordable, and accessible for self-builders and housing collectives.

Design and making for the digital age

Introducing the Archiyou Library

By Mark
On 6/21/2024

Building things - from furniture, structures to houses - is great. Both as a professional or DIY enthusiast. But it's hard to actually start building. You need a design, you need a list of materials, a price estimation, technical drawings and instructions. Of course, if you have the money just hire a professional designer or architect. But what if you have not? The Archiyou Library aims to gather designs from all over the world to make them easily accessible on the web for people to start building them.

URHOUSE Hoorneboeg

Plug and play + hyperlocal

Placed on
On 1/21/2026

Built with 3D units to protect the silence of the estate, then finished with hyperlocal wood from our own harvest forest. This 60 m2 guest caretaker’s home integrates nature into its very walls with built-in nesting boxes. Low impact, high harmony, and a footprint of only 40 m2. Read more about it here.

URBUILD: SIMPLY BUILDING AND LIVING

How do we make housing affordable and ecological at the same time?

By Mark
On 2/26/2026

Housing is a basic right, but in our wealthy society it has been too complex, too expensive, and too slow for years. Can't it be simpler? That is URBUILD: the solution to make ecological, unique, and affordable living feasible. How does it work?

URHOUSES Deventer

Building a street together

By Daniel
On 1/21/2026

Discover how you can self-build with URBUILD in an ideal mix of TOGETHER AND SEPARATELY? Find out here how these six unique, ecological homes achieved more quality together than what was individually possible. Connected building, where the advantages of collective purchasing and shared vision come together with the freedom of individual self-building. Read here how we did it.

URHOUSE Renkum

the house that sparked the idea of radically going UR

By Daniel
On 1/22/2026

Low service level, high independence. This house you might call the URHOUSE "DIY finish" prototype - because the inhabitants did it all: a full DIY interior, self-applied lime plaster, and integrated off-grid systems. Built with recycled roof tiles, and local wood for the facade. Read more about this adventure here.

URPLAN Ecowijk Het Groene Spoor

By Daniel
On 1/27/2026

Maximum collective impact, maximum affordability, maximum sustainability, and a hands-on approach. That was the challenge. For the community-led initiative Ecowijk Het Groene Spoor, we visualized URBUILD’S potential for multi-story construction. We explored the possibilities of a potential site and guided the group through what our unique method—designing and building together with URBUILD—could mean for them.

URHOUSE Maupas

The ultimate affordable local retreat

By Mark
On 10/8/2025

Curious how you can build yourself with URBUILD for really CHEAP & LOCAL? Hyperlocal ecological materials, little government regulation, recycled windows, and a summer vacation of hard work with friends. The result: The URHOUSE prototype: a small house of 55 m2 for under 20,000 EUR.

URHOUSE Leeuwarden

Modular biobased new construction home tailored to your needs

By Daniel
On 1/29/2026

Let yourself be inspired by this unique biobased FULL-SERVICE ECO HOUSE in Leeuwarden. Completely designed and built together with the residents from innovative 3D modules in a nature-inclusive neighborhood. Not a far-off dream, as the permit is already in place: this summer, this sustainable dream home will become a reality.