To answer the question of how architecture will develop, let us first consider how to describe its present state. The first thing that comes to mind is—diverse! We have objects of both ancient and modern styles, noteworthy buildings and those less successful ones, glass skyscrapers, and wooden huts. Objects are characteristic of specific locations, cultures, and climates. Regardless of what the future will bring and which of the following options will be implemented, I hope that the architecture will remain diverse.
The Future of Technology | Architecture of the future
The accelerating development of technology nowadays is a harbinger of coming untold changes and opportunities in design. The question is not where the limits of technological possibilities will reach, but how far our imaginations will go. Flying office rooms allowing you to move to meetings and lunches without leaving your chair may not be what will be in use in a hundred years, but buildings or individual floors rotating around a central construction plumb line are perfectly possible.
Imagine that your office or apartment is no longer the one with a lack of sunlight, or one that is overheated from too much sun, that you can change both the exposure to the sides of the world and the view from the window every hour. Would it not bring more efficiency at work and would not allow for a more interesting arrangement of a space?
The architecture can contain not only built parts but also those presented by virtual reality. VR technology is already used for conceptual design. You can walk around virtual representations of the flat or office and use your hands and voice to create changes.
In the future of design, VR technology can be used throughout the entire life stage of the building, imitate its decoration, paintings, display parts of wall covering, or even change the interior appearance depending on the current use or weather.
Algorithmic Modeling
The tools used in the conceptual design process have a direct impact on the quality of architecture. Parametric design that is today represented by some of the iconic buildings will be used on a much larger scale. Perhaps this tool will become an inseparable element of any building because it allows architects to create architecture that is not possible with traditional drawing.
Spatial forms are created based on algorithms that are determined by the parameters entered into the program. This design tool not only enables to obtain fancy constructions based on curvilinear profiles but also for optimization form of the building and facade solutions due to environmental conditions and depending on the processes taking place inside the building.
Thinking about the architecture of the future, where not only the parametric design will be used, but also other, unknown support systems, we can imagine how carefully planned all buildings, bridges and other urban infrastructure facilities will be and how beautiful and unusual forms they will have. It will change the look of cities tremendously.
3D Printed Buildings
The parametric design technology, in which we obtain a spatial model, can be easily combined with 3D printing technology—precise mapping of the building. Until recently, mockup printing seemed to be the pinnacle of printing technology, but now it has been proven that 3D printing technology is suitable also for printing entire buildings.
The plastic filament can be replaced with concrete and with the use of appropriately larger devices the real building can be built. There is already a family house made with this technology in Germany. Undoubtedly printing technology will develop and allow for faster building and perfect mapping of three-dimensional complex forms.
Buildings as City Gardens | Architecture of the future
When thinking about architecture in the future, it is important to take into account the social and urban changes that will affect it. By 2050 About 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. Accepting more migrants from rural areas will be a challenge for cities due to increasing amounts of waste, potential climate change, and the need for denser buildings and vertical development.
For concrete and glass buildings not to be the only element of the urban landscape, buildings will have to be combined with greenery. Green facades create pleasant environments for their users by removing pollution, reducing street noise, or alleviating wind strength at heights.
Covering the roof or facades of the building with vegetation can bring not only environmental but also economic advantages. Plants covering the glass walls are natural air conditioners for interiors especially those, who have exposure from sunny sites. Due to the above benefits, I think that in the future, building projects will be combined with greenery on a large scale.
The architecture of the future will certainly be strongly associated with technology, it will draw from its achievements. Undoubtedly, it will enable the design of beautiful and unique architectural forms. I hope that despite building larger and higher architecture, it will not be too dominant in comparison to human scale and that among the dense urban buildings there will still be plenty of space for greenery.
I believe that despite the unifying trends there still will be many styles and objects which are worth driving across the globe to see.
