WikiHouse is a manufactured building system for houses (actually, it can be used for many kinds of small building). It uses structural timber (usually plywood) sheets which are cut to 0.1mm precision, and assembled into basic building blocks, which can be delivered to site, then rapidly and accurately assembled by almost anyone, even if they don't have traditional construction skills.
‍
Unlike some other manufactured building systems, WikiHouse is not produced in a large multi-million pound factory. WikiHouse parts can be digitally fabricated using a 4'x8' CNC machine. This means that parts can be manufactured by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in local micro-factories, that can be set up for a fraction of the cost. In fact, thousands already exist.

Timber panels, e.g. plywood, are the perfect material for fabricating WikiHouse. Plywood is stronger and less sensitive to humidity variations than traditional sawn timber, and it is lighter than bricks, concrete and steel. This is translated into a much faster fabrication, more rapid assembly on site without heavy lifting equipment, and appealing internal finishing.

Skylark is the latest version of the WikiHouse building system.

As a general rule of thumb, the blocks for your WikiHouse structure (or 'chassis') will cost around £400-450 per m² of internal floor area to manufacture and assemble on site. This creates an insulated superstructure.

Of course, how much the other elements of the building cost (such as foundations, windows, cladding, fit-out and services) will vary depending on your specification. We've created a handy concept cost estimator for this reason to help with early stage design and feasibility.

People often look to WikiHouse to be cheaper than conventional brick & block construction, but unless you have a CNC machine and can manufacture the blocks yourself, the superstructure itself might actually be more expensive. However this additional cost is offset by savings later: faster construction, easier addition of other elements (and fewer of them), and of course, if you're a self-builder, the option to build it yourself and save on labour costs. On balance, the total cost often pans out to be about the same as conventional construction, but you're getting a building with significantly better performance in terms of energy, environmental impact and quality.

WikiHouse Skylark might be our latest building system but before Skylark there were other versions of the system, each named after a different bird. Here we explain each name:

WikiHouse Wren: Wren was the first WikiHouse system and approximately 50 houses worldwide have been built with it. The last Wren release (v 4.3) was in 2016 and it is no longer supported, however you can still access old Wren files via Github.

WikiHouse Blackbird: This system was developed based on learnings from Wren. A few projects were built using it, including the Cotteridge Park Community Cafe in Birmingham.

WikiHouse Swift: This is a fork from Wren, adapted by our friends in The Netherlands. A pilot project has been built in Almere and you can find more details in GiHub.

WikiHouse Weaver: Weaver is a system for internal stud walls. We will be working on the latest version that connects with Skylark.

WikiHouse Skylark: The latest version of the WikiHouse system. It has considerably simplified blocks that can be configured in many ways. Released in February 2022.

WikiHouse Skylark has been created for simplicity and ease. Anyone can download the files and guides for free to start designing with the system. Once the digital design is ready, it can be sent to a manufacturer to produce the blocks and easily assemble them together into your home or building without any traditional building skills.

Visit our blocks and guides pages to find all the information you need to start a project using WikiHouse. All the files - from 3D models and cutting files to assembly guides - are free to download. Please read our Terms of use before starting, and remember you are responsible for making sure your project complies with all relevant local regulations. If in doubt, always seek professional advice.

You have access to the whole library of Skylark blocks. To start using them, simply download and open them with your preferred design software. There are a number of programmes you can use, some are paid and others are free like SketchUp or Blender.

All WikiHouse information is shared 'As Is', with no warranties of any kind. You are entirely responsible for checking your design, and for using the system in a safe, responsible and legal way. You may use any available documentation to satisfy yourself that the system is fit for purpose, and if in doubt, always seek professional advice. Read the full WikiHouse Terms of use.

If you are engaging an architect, manufacturer or contractor, your agreement with them should include contingencies for what should happen if something goes wrong.

The best way to ensure mortgageability is to get a 10-year structural warranty on the completed properties. We've had some experience securing structural warranties for homes with previous WikiHouse systems, and it should be more straightforward to do so with WikiHouse Skylark. An alternative is for you to seek options from the Ecology Building Society (UK projects only), which have happily offered mortgages on WikiHouse developments previously.

Yes! WikiHouse is 100% open source. This means anyone anywhere in the world can access and download the files from our library. Once downloaded, block files can be used to create your own designs.