Commodity most commonly refers to articles of commerce or trade, that which is of value in business. Strictly speaking, all products have the potential of being commodities. However, inherent to the concept of commodity is the structuring of its desirability across geographic boundaries, desirability despite physical context. If the exclusive manufactured product is high art of the non contextual, then all forms of commodity benefit most when they are not limited by physical context and environment.
An oil rig may have limited application downtown new york but if every other new yorker desired and could afford one, oil rigs would clearly be a commodity of overwhelming success.
Commodity plays an important role in international transaction. But it does with the recognition of its place in an economic context. When art forms place ubiquity and reputation ahead of geographic context, they acknowledge competition with the high art of the economic context: popular culture and brand exclusivity. The movement of architecture today focusses on developing a recognizable style of work with no or little regard of place, society or building culture. The appeal of this varied but intrinsically uncontextual work is no different from that of the worlds of galliano, gucci and guess.
Expertise becomes product being forgotten as process.
Architecture has begun to be strived for as product and commodity.