When we start studying anything, we are first taught about the history of that subject, how it came to be, what led to it existing, and so on. Then we gradually move on to the present, contemporary trends of that subject, while also studying its evolution from the past to present.
The purpose of teaching all this is so that the students would be able to predict a possible future for the subject, something that will aid them in their career. Similarly, in architecture too, we need to study the history and the present, in order to predict the future.
The Past Of Future
Human beings have always had an inherent instinct to build and create. From creating a fire to building shelters, our ancestors have done it all. The need to build something evolved as human beings grew more aware of their surroundings and made new discoveries.
From building shelters to protect themselves better, then building storage spaces when they discovered agriculture, to building community spaces for better human interactions, and so on and so forth, the type of buildings have always been deeply influenced by how the human society was evolving to ultimately become what it is today.
This instinct to build in accordance with the changing surroundings and gaining knowledge will determine the architecture of the future.
The Present Of Future
In the present times, the lack of land and increasing population along with preserving ancient structures has to lead to the construction of sleek, tall and minimalist buildings. Buildings all around have started to look mostly similar, and architecture has lost its unique regional identity.
But in contrast, there also has been an increase in applying vernacular methods for local, low-cost projects, in hopes of creating more sustainable and eco-friendly projects. There are also other trends that are coming up, like incorporating vertical gardens and green walls in buildings, reviving ancient construction methods to keep the traditions alive, and so many others.
The different popular contemporary trends in architecture might be vastly different from each other, sharing very few common goals, but all these trends will contribute equally to determine the fate, the future of architecture, a few decades down the line.
The Future – A Smart World
For most of us, when we think of the world in the future, we think of a world that has reached the peak of technological advancement, a world where we have got a man-made machine alternative for everything, and descriptions if such a world is often explained best through an illustration of sleek, white skyscrapers, an intricate road network, and everything looking artificially illuminated.
The development of smart homes, where you can control everything through different software, even when you are miles away from your house, show that a completely smart world in the future is definitely not impossible to achieve. Even the commercial buildings with their tall glass facades and increasing usage of steel frame skeletons for buildings suggest a similar future.
Our world as we know it today might very well develop and progress to match all the illustrations of highly advanced alien planets or other planets in the multi-verse – a place where nature might lose its importance and science would be a new religion.
The Future – A Sustainable World
With the recent trends of building sustainably, with using vernacular methods, incorporating green walls and vertical gardens, replacing traditional sources of electricity with solar power, and so many other things, the world in the future could look like the world in the past did, but there would definitely be more technology. We might go back to trusting nature to do its work, instead of harming it in the name of progress.
We would not be able to adapt to the simpler, technology-free past, but we could definitely reduce our dependence on technology. We could go back to creating self-sufficient, nature-dependent communities of the past, like in Auroville, India. We could even adapt to tinier spaces, to reduce our carbon footprint – the Tiny House Movement has been gaining traction in the last few years, showing how little we actually need to live comfortably, and how we can salvage old and thrown away materials to create liveable spaces for us.
People might even start living completely amidst nature, like some ancient tribes still practice to this day. The possibilities of a completely sustainable future are endless because discoveries and inventions of eco-friendly alternatives for traditional energy sources and contemporary construction materials are being made every day.
The Future – A Culmination Of All
In the previous paragraphs, we talk about two possibilities for the future of architecture, but what if instead of it being one or the other, the future could be a mixture of all things good. We could have smart homes with mud walls and thatched roofs, and huge steel frame structures with green walls and huge rooftop gardens, like a modern adaptation of the very famous ‘Hanging Gardens of Babylon’.
We could have sleek, white earth-rimmed walls for our houses, and use glass with mud to create cob houses. We could even live on Earthships with fully equipped internet. We could upcycle and recycle construction materials, similar to what they used to do when one kingdom conquered the other in ancient times.
We could adapt ancient methodologies to create modern, futuristic buildings and we could also equip traditional, vernacular houses with the most modern technologies and it would all culminate into a world that we have never seen or thought of before, and make living in the future very interesting.
For sometimes, to create a better future, instead of simply learning from the past, we could also adapt to the past.
