From stone-carved temples to skyscrapers architecture has continued to evolve along with humanity. With a changing outlook of the world came a changing interpretation of our needs, which subsequently changed our built environments. Each era saw a different design movement, and with it, a different vision for the future.
Subjectivity is expected as what we envision is highly governed by our present reality. However, as architecture often tends to be a reflection of the society it houses, it stands to reason that some common assumptions can be made for the future of architecture based on present-day trends.
Sustainability
For the longest time, humans have followed the ‘clear and build’ method. While it required little to no forethought, this has resulted in irreparable damage to the environment. The exploitation of our limited resources has also accelerated the degenerate path the planet is headed towards.
Sustainability holds the key to an environmentally responsive future where we use our resources in a way that minimises impact on natural habitats and global ecology. Most architects and designers, nowadays, are seeking solutions that require less energy & generate minimum waste.
Net-zero buildings are not an outlier anymore and are becoming the default. With more attention being given to sustainable practices, we may be heading towards a cleaner and greener future.
AI & Generative Design
Generative design combines parametric design and artificial intelligence with the restrictions and data included by the designer. Every possibility and intention is mapped out by a machine, making the designing process more accurate and quicker. People’s memories, stories, and experiences, things beyond the physical sense, can be used to generate data with the help of AI.
With sensors at nodal points, a city can provide information gained from citizens’ devices to be analysed by AI to automatically generate plans. The ever-growing connection of people via technology is enabling a more open and transparent look into every person’s life. Access to people’s information combined with an A.I. tool could present great possibilities to architects.
By already knowing everything about us, our hobbies, likes, dislikes, activities, friends, etc., A.I. software can calculate population growth, prioritize projects, categorize streets according to usage and so on, and thus predict a virtual future and automatically draft urban plans that best represent and suit everyone.
Vertical Cities
With city populations growing exponentially around the globe, a massive strain is concentrated on a smaller pool of area. The limited land resource is not only dominated by architecture but also by farmlands and production units. The cities of the future, therefore, need to be able to incorporate renewable energy, efficient infrastructure, and limited impact on ecology.
While most designs these days happen vertically, the future sees more efficient use of spaces with the integration of technology and AI. Sprawling horizontal growth may become obsolete in the future. Vertical farms are also gaining popularity and may get integrated into our urban dwellings.
Marine Architecture
Another solution to our reducing land is to build on water. Floating structures and underwater architecture are being explored for various design challenges. While significant projects have been undertaken in the field, large-scale developments are yet to be explored.
Marine ecology is also being studied for coastal development projects which have created a much-needed sensitivity towards marine biodiversity. Although submerged cities seem like a distant dream currently, we may be able to witness a modern-day Atlantis someday.
Collaborations
It is common for an architect to play a diverse set of roles. However, these roles might change in the foreseeable future. As the profession grows, we continue to explore and study architecture and its impacts on its context which results in the intersection of various disciplines. Hence, a marine biologist and an anthropologist may eventually become a part of the design team.
MIT Design Laboratory is one such place of conjunction where various specialists work together towards common design goals. This may help in more complex and comprehensive design solutions.
Off-world Colonisation
Like most science-fiction movies have predicted, we may move to a different planet. While the imaginative designs of the Retrofuturism and Space Age era are optimistic, the reality of futuristic off-world architecture may be different. Our migration could happen due to the eventual collapse of our environment or just to explore the cosmos.
Either way, habitation on another planet will require design solutions that will explore new concepts and theories. Apart from the transported materials, construction with native materials of the colonised planet may be used for future construction. Mars exploration has led to a new design frontier to emerge and many believe that its eventual colonisation is inevitable.
Predicting the Future
Architecture, due to its time constraints, is a conservative field as compared to the mutable nature of our world. Unlike other design fields like fashion, graphic design, etc., architecture does not have the freedom to reinvent itself with each new trend.
So, certain indications as to where the profession is headed can be assumed based on the current scenario, however, since architecture is slower to adapt, a major shift in the pedagogy, hence, will require a massive push. The possibilities remain endless, but they will always be reigned by the complex environments that we inhabit.