From Communicating with Aliens to Life Cubicles on Mars, Personal Pods to Flying cars, manufacturing human beings artificially to developing sophisticated medical diagnoses and live buildings interacting with the human interface to buildings on wheels, there was a myriad of expectations of imaginative minds from the past. The intellectuals in the past imagined the future with enthusiasm and fascination, so much so that, the actual reality would disappoint them if they had lived to see the plight of certain sections more than another. The present situation, contrary to what was envisaged, is not taking one towards a promised land instead, one can witness the fast-paced marching of global humankind into the ill effects of their long sojourn in the land.
Architecture has always been an indispensable part of human lives as it has socially blended with the surroundings to the extent that it has defined the external material environment. The future of Architecture is often anticipated to be sustainable, resilient and digitally developed with innovative construction materials and techniques. But delving deeper into the current situation, instead of extravagance, the need of the hour is to unequivocally secure the future with positive reinforcements that curb the destructive practices on an individual level first. The anthropological sources of disasters have multiplied the impacts of climate change that affect human lives and infrastructure the most.
Saving the future for all
Mira had not slept a bit for two days straight. She is now safe with her family in a refugee camp in Pujappura, set up for the victims of flood-affected areas of the city of Trivandrum. This has become more of a routine for Mira’s family. Sometimes it is the flooding, and at other times it is the cyclone. She has lived all her life in the coastal city; she has her livelihood attached to the Shangumugham coast, fishing along the Arabian Sea. Someday she wants to build a home for her family that would stand against any unprecedented calamity.
Chatiram who lives in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, has witnessed several disasters like flash floods, landslides, sudden land subsidence incidents, earthquakes etc. His childhood was intertwined with the land he grew up in. He has been a shepherd for the past 40 years of his life which has involved staying on the mountain peaks for 2 months straight, for grazing his herd. His herd and his family-owned dairy shed are frequently wiped out in the aforesaid disasters, which he rebuilds every time on the Dhumshakar Heights. He has lost 163 sheep and goats in his lifetime, some to the devouring wild beast and others to climatic haphazard. He believes in hard work and enjoys his time with his sheep and goats. He knows much about the local environment and building materials that best suit permanent sheds back in his village or temporary tents on the mountain peaks. He hopes that his generation would keep up the tradition, for which he also prays that the environment would not turn hostile to man.
Mira and Chatiram, from two different generations and two different locations, are hoping for a better future of which Architecture is absolutely a significant part.
Architecture for the masses means that it is capable of accommodating the basic shelter need as well as highway networks connecting cities with the highest footfall.
Imaginative renderings
With several existing discourses on what the future of architecture holds for mankind, it is necessary to discuss the existing flaws that need architectural attention. The stark inequalities are seen in these discourses as architecture today has become a sport of the haves, while the have-nots have unilaterally become victims of these developments. The amount of spending in the buildings emulating certain universal styles is trotting in the way of innovations but is not all accommodative. Basic durability comes before extravagance. The Talisman of Mahatma Gandhi holds true for architecture too.
Tailored to Context
In the world of customisations, Architecture for the future needs to fit rightly for specific geographical areas and specific purposes. This means getting vocal for locals in this era of globalisation so that the traditional practices and usage of local materials are revived. Laurie Baker also moots for rejecting the international style that perniciously lingers in the local contexts. The future of Architecture lies in geographic locations that should dictate the style and form.
The Indian Mountainous terrains along the Himalayan foothills and the western ghats are susceptible to landslides at least once a year. The pressure of built forms and population has been evident in the recent case of Joshimath’s land subsidence.
Architecture should address the underlying causes and consequences instead of merely being utilitarian and adding to the aesthetics of the surrounding. Preservation of the existing land, accentuating the advantageous features and altering it to suit our needs is what good practice would include. Rather than a photo-montaged effect, a blended form of the building will be much more sustainable. Creating forms with detailed topographical analysis and the capacity of the proposed form to function by retaining the original character of the site would make the project worthy of the money spent and footprints that have been left behind.
Addressing the Core Issues
Climate change has led to flooding, heat and cold waves, landslides and increasing frequency of cyclones along with natural disasters like earthquakes, Tsunamis or Diastrophism and the related migrant refugees. Building in the age of such uncertainties means there should be default safeguards.
Earthquake-resistant architecture is a well-established branch of study in architecture that is applied in construction in mapped earthquake-prone areas. Likewise, every aspect of climate change needs to be addressed. For instance, urban flooding has to be dealt with by introducing methods that enable water storage and not merely make the roads and streets water-proof. Water-proofing is not an ideal option for countries like India which is dependent on erratic monsoons. Hence, sufficient research should be undertaken to enhance the traditional methods of desilting stormwater drains by creating absorbing roads and pavements.
With sophisticated technology that has enabled mapping the path of cyclones, such can be employed in architectural forms to understand the natural conditions that a building on a site would be prone to. Akin to the weather models, Building models can be incorporated with weather patterns in studying the impact of the environment on the building and vice versa. Thoroughly studying the areas prone to particular phenomena can help.
Sustainable and Resilient Designs
On a blindingly bright sunny day in an urbanised area, staggering amid cars and two-wheelers, with buildings on both sides of the thick black tar road, one can imagine the excess heat and burnout that might put a good number in the risk zone of heat stroke or exhaustion. While on the one hand, this is the result of the carbon emissions suffocating the micro-environment and creating an urban heat island; on the other hand, it is also because of improperly planned commute routes and transportation systems. So does the future of Architecture include solutions for correcting these historic urban transportation systems that have existed for so long?
Buildings are a major primary energy consumer in the world energy sector, with a value of about 40% of total energy consumption. Net Zero buildings are pointed to as the solution for dealing with this aspect of human footprint. Sustainability and resilience are not to be considered mere words that promote living in harmony with nature, the key lies in the realisation of this essence through the application of knowledge in the related fields. Mandating such points from the state’s end can be a way forward.
Experiential Digital Interfaces
Technical sophistication could include multiple innovations in buildings that have to break the existing digital divide. Investments for future digital infrastructure mean investment in human resources. Empowering what man can do with technology ad its branches, with an ethical mind, can rope in the various stakeholders of the community and propose developmental projects. The future also depends on robust Public-Private-Partnerships, that would ensure funds and resource availability for maximum welfare.
Proactive Role of the Architecture Community
The architecture community has to refrain from working in silos and start working in cooperation with one another. This can enable sharing of knowledge and new techniques, by which architecture can evolve to become interdisciplinary and bring out holistic solutions. As architecture is ubiquitous in a world full of opportunities for deploying art and discipline, it can render the future filled with equality and liberty at the highest level of potential.
Using Architecture to salvage the wounds of social exclusions through gentrification, ghettoisation and unmindful urbanisation. Nuanced approaches involving a thoughtful process about living in integration are needed. Architectural education can also expand its coverage to accommodate various related disciplines like Ecology and Environment, Sociology, Science and Technology, Artificial intelligence engineering, etc.
The future of architecture, thus, has to complement the developments with al embracing arms, enriching the discipline and centred on humans and their lively environments.
Citations
Bhatia, G. (2000). Laurie Baker: Life, Work and Writings. Penguin India Publications
World Inequality Lab (2022) World Inequality Report
Available at: https://wid.world/news-article/world-inequality-report-2022/
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/09/01/bjarke-ingels-telosa-city-marc-lore/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/23/magazine/climate-migration.html
https://unsplash.com/@dnevozhai
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/
