Future, a word that intrigues and captivates mankind. It always fascinates us to speculate and question what’s going to be next for our upcoming generations. The trends and futuristic ideas would change the way of living altogether. Architecture, just like all other fields, is bound to evolve and change the lifestyle of people.
So, what will the future of architecture look like? Will it be more respectful towards our mother earth or are we going to end up colonizing Mars? Well, but before taking such huge leaps there are sure to be a lot of changes that we see happening in the present which kind of gives us an essence of the future.
Efficiency is the way
The construction industry in these past years has been ever blooming. Due to factors like population explosion demand has extensively increased. As the need increases, quick production becomes a necessity.
As time becomes an important factor, there would be a lot of emphasis on innovating new construction methodologies. Technologies that could cater to the demand of both designers as well as end-users. These would also open new arenas for architects as professionals.
Rigidity to flexibility
Another trend that will redefine the way we live is transformable spaces. Spaces that can adapt to a user’s needs. A space that can be transformed with one’s flexibility of living, interest as well as economical needs. And which also has the adaptability to shape up in different functions.
Similarly, the line between internal and external spaces can be blurred by creating such retractable barriers. This can not only be confined to horizontal space flexibility but can also double up vertically. This way the entire design of the building won’t be that rigid and will be more user-centric.
The vertical trend
The most talked-about trend is the flag bearer of the modern era – high rises. As the available land becomes scarce and the human population on the rise, it paves the way for the idea of building upwards and shrinking the functions.
But along with the idea of high rises there comes a new concept of vertical cities. These cities are termed as our future, as they would shrink the usage of space on land. These high rises would be able to cope up with the increasing number of people. Along with residential and commercial, other public utility areas like schools, hospitals would also be needed in large numbers to cater to the public need.
These vertical cities are also accompanied by the idea of vertical farming. Farming today has been reduced drastically. We can already see this idea rising in present times. Many designers have started to inculcate the idea of controlled farming in the urban high rises. Such designs would change and impact the lifestyle of people.
Examples can be borrowed from ‘The Farmhouse project’ by architect Chris Precht. The concept is modular housing where residents can grow their own food in provided vertical farms. This also indulges the idea of sustainable living.
Sustainability
As we know our natural resources are depleting rapidly. This depletion and the changing environmental conditions are quite cautioning. It has become extremely important for mankind to find new sustainable ways to lead life. Architecture is no exception.
Gradually, our industry has to shift to more effective and sustainable materials. Sustainability is not a new concept, it has more become the need of an hour. A building material made from the tremendously generated waste is the future, as naturally available material would be scarce.
Another aspect of sustainability is energy conservation. Energy-efficient buildings are in higher demand even nowadays, this demand is only going to increase more in the future. By conserving energy we not only save the non-renewable resources but take a step towards responsible living. Soon we can expect more green buildings with efficient use of resources and more dependency on renewable resources like solar and wind.
Automated Structures and Virtual reality
Smart buildings or intelligent buildings, like smartphones, are an upcoming trend now. A building that is so automated that it can understand and operate concerning its user’s needs. The Building Information Model (BIM) has already gained immense popularity in the building industry.
The innovations are further leading to connecting building technology to the daily lives of the users. As the BIM grows faster and faster the method of working for architects will also change over time. Also, there is a massive increment on 3-D printers, and maybe it won’t be that long until robots take over.
The world of virtual 3-D design is growing and can be expected to boom in the near future. The technique through which we can observe, sense and walk-through the artificially designed world, taking us through a completely different type of experience. This is a technique of immersive architecture with the help of virtual reality technology.
Imagine how much it will change the way we perceive things, which will allow users to before-handedly experience space through it.
The future may bring changes in a lot of unpredicted ways. Architecture as a field is ever-evolving over time. It is always quite fascinating to speculate what future beholds and how things may vary further ahead.
Along with the upcoming changes in the architecture world, it will also change the way of working for architects. Hopefully, it becomes more people inclusive. Architecture as a field comprises many different professionals right from urban designer to product designer. May the future of work ethic become more fluid and cohesive with different professionals, leading to more user-centric and environment-sensitive built-forms.
