Just imagine getting up some morning and finding your house amidst water, under the sea, surrounded by beautiful water creatures. And not only the house, in fact, the entire city under the water. Isn’t it that crazy! But wonder not, it is one of the most probable futures we could make in the coming few years. Architecture is at its high peak and there is no doubt that it can achieve wonders like this in the coming time.
Although no one has seen the future, there are certainly a few things which we could predict based on current trends which are going to influence the architecture more. The immersive technology is going to completely change the design process. Smart cities have become the focal point of the present. Verticality is emerging as the most popular way to counter the limited space problem with the growing population. Sustainable and eco-friendly design is the need of the hour.
The Future of the ‘Needs’
As human beings, we need the education to get into an office and we need to get into an office to suffice our daily basic needs of food, clothes, and shelter. Architecture plays an important role in all of these. Though, in the coming future, all of the three, the architectural education, the office, and the residence, will have a huge impact on it.
The sealed high-rise wall-to-wall cubicles for the offices will no longer be the norm. The offices will be more flexible and modular. Wellness will be an essential element of offices. Synergistic technology and design will be emerging. More of the open spaces, pods, and group discussion areas will be there.
While talking about residential architecture, we must not forget the need for open space going into the mainstream. With time, people need multiple master suites for accommodating multiple generations in a single house. ‘Off the shelf’ plans will be on a boom. Sustainability is taking the charge. The houses will be more kitchen-centered. Flexible rooms, recreation rooms, quiet spaces, clever storage are on demand for meeting the present needs. The smooth transition between the indoor and the outdoor spaces is the requirement of today.
With technology, architecture education has come too far. 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, digital renders, and many other things have made life more hacked. But, as a student one must learn how to think about the business of design and construction, one must learn to focus on research, one must connect with the rest of the world, not just in the lecture room of the college, but also in interview rooms and boards room, one must learn to collaborate, and must learn to be adaptive to the fast-changing world.
The Pandemic and the Architecture
Until last year, who would have ever thought that a virus could bring the whole world to a halt? And we would be forced to lock ourselves in our homes. The future is so uncertain! But even though this pandemic has a hard hit on people, it has created a new perspective for architecture. Open and green spaces are now the necessity of every house. The in-built office has become a part of our homes. Extracting more space out of particular storage is a new way to add space to a structure. Urban farming is the emerging trend. Energy efficiency is the need of the day. The touch-free structure has found its way. And all thanks to this pandemic, which has taught us not to lose hope in our tough times, instead find new and innovative solutions to the problems.
The Future of Architecture
Virtual reality, big data, Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information Modeling (BIM), immersive architecture, smart cities, parametric architecture, robotics, and the internet of spaces are just a few of the things which we could not just take away from the future. They are meant to transform the future of architecture. Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be taking huge control of architecture in the future, whether for creating parametric architecture, or in construction and planning, or for laying the foundations or making the homes or even the smart cities, AI is going to be the boss.
New and unique materials will be used in place of the same old RCCs, like self-healing concretes, which will have the ability to resist the adverse effects of water on it; nanomaterials like Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), which are strong and ultralight in weight; nanotechnology solar panels; aerogel insulation; waterproof rooftops; steel structures; and many more.
Green and sustainable buildings are the need of the hour, so the future will see a lot of eco-friendly structures. The more of the verticality with sustainability would be there in the coming days. The number of hypotonic bridges and rotating skyscrapers will also be increased. Indoor parks and minimalism will be encouraged. Invisibility illusion will be attained using a high-tech LED façade system. Natural disaster-proof buildings would be getting more attention. Sweaters for skyscrapers, floating pools, green power plants, compostable towers, 3D printed interiors, wooden or mud skyscrapers, sponge parks, inflatable concert halls, buildings made of new use of old materials, and sci-fi skylines would be more into the limelight. Architecture would be more collaborative. The divide between the public and the private space will fade off.
Talking about the future of architecture, it is quite difficult to predict that, whether it would be more sustainable, or will it be more of a repetition of buildings, or will it be straight out of a sci-fi movie. The only thing we could say is that, whatever it may be, it will be as awesome as architecture itself.
References:
- Think Architecture. (2019). 5 TRENDS THAT COULD SHAPE THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE. [online]. Available at: https://www.thinkaec.com/5-trends-that-could-shape-the-future-of-architecture/#:~:text=Immersive%20Technology%20Is%20Changing%20the%20Architectural%20Design%20Process&text=The%20use%20of%20large%2Dscale,limits%20of%20architecture%20and%20construction.
- TMD STUDIO LMT. (2017). Emerging Trends That Will Shape the Future of Architecture. [online]. Available at: https://medium.com/studiotmd/emerging-trends-that-will-shape-the-future-of-architecture-356ba3e7f910
- archisoup.com. (n.d.). What does the future for architecture and architects look like? [online]. Available at: https://www.archisoup.com/future-for-architecture-and-architects
