“But what was before us we know not, And we know not what shall succeed.”
- Matthew Arnold, ‘The Future’
These lines by the poet Matthew Arnold, describe the fundamental in the most fundamental way. The future is uncertain, but, we can always make a shift as to where we would like to head towards. Countless designers and architects, working day and night to bring their image into the world and take the world’s reflection into their own work. Thus, the question remains unavoidable, will the future of architecture be ‘Forrest Gump’, or ‘Blade Runner’ or the one many want ‘The Matrix’ type?
To make an approximate guess, we will have to trace back our knowledge of architecture. Why do we practice architecture? What does architecture do? Why architecture?
We do it for the people. We do it for the comfort and peace of it’s users or inhabitants, that’s our priority. So, to know about the future of architecture, we’ll have to analyse the future of people, their thought process, as to how they want to live in this world or any other! Internet is a gift that we gave ourselves on our 5,023th birthday (yes calculated), a gift that opened the frontiers to knowledge, awareness, and most importantly a sense of confidence in people, to stand for their right, and way of thinking. Now there are sects among people, groups divided, bound together by some common notion or belief. A shared sense of support that you are not alone, you have people that think alike.
With this emerging trend of creation of groups with different identities, there emerges a clash of ideologies, schools of thoughts and everything. If someone is not understanding the gravity of this matter, the let me rephrase, We are on the verge of the biggest division of humanity that history has ever seen!
There will be three groups that’ll drive the future the architecture…
Back to basics, aka Team ‘Forrest Gump’
A large porch, with an even larger backyard, with their kids riding a cycle, owner’s plucking fruits and vegetables from their own farm, following a routine of natural living. This group wants nature, its warmth, a lifestyle as somebody reversed the time clock. With vernacular architecture at it’s heart, these spaces will be sustainable, born and dying with the family, as the spirit of vernacular is. A deck to watch the milky way galaxy with naked eyes. Wooden doors and frames, stone counters and mud masonry, walking in slippers or bare feet, feeling every tone of material mother earth has to offer.
Well, that’s one way to live!
The Modern Family, aka Team ‘Blade Runner’
The new money lifestyle, fast cars, latest gizmos, brands unheard of, are their identification. Penthouses so high, one is above the clouds with unobstructed view of the city, glass glazing giving unobstructed view of the city yet the privacy of space is intact, full temperature control for the interior, minimalist furniture pieces, stone counters with finished wooden flooring, one walks bare foot and they feel their accomplishment and what is yet to be accomplished. A cozy rug in the living room, sipping wine with your loved ones, as you look out the glass wall, and you see the beautiful cityscape you helped shaped.
Well, that’s another way to live!
The First Ones, aka Team ‘Matrix’
A new galaxy, probably Mars or Kepler-452b, with a new sun, its warmth, the new land, maybe coarse or loose, the breath in the new atmosphere, living in shuttles at first, then maybe building a colony with ultra advance materials. Technology with AI living within our world, hand to hand, performing daily tasks. Some advance material counters with some advance material flooring, while walking bare foot, one feels how far they have come, a spiritual awakening about their past, their people, their mother land. As the sun drops, they’ll be sitting at their shuttle deck, seeing a new galaxy filled with new stars, maybe even looking at Earth!
Well, that is also one way to live!
Surely, the world is changing and it will take a leap into the future and we as architects and designers need to find a solution as to what can be done when this division among the society happens, and afterall, we ourselves are part of the society. People are amazing and unique and brilliant and it would be wrong to confine them into just three groups. There will be overlaps in these groups and wholly new groups will be formed.Now what does it bring to the architectural world is beyond anyone’s statement but one thing is for sure, it will be challenging and exciting at the same time. Does it mean we will have to find our niche and choose a group or together with people from other walks of life, we will have to work a way to keep all united?
I guess we’ll have to find out!
References:
https://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/sf55bqkpwuylhu2colg77w.jpg
https://d34mfkth6cubud.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/21090524/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Penthouse-Living-_-Cover-21-12-22.jpg
https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/624a/9af3/3e4b/31c1/9d00/00a3/large_jpg/05_Guidice-Moon-Mass-dirver76446main_AC78-0330-1-scaled.jpg.pagespeed.ce.QiiSBR1tLf.jpg?1649056488
