What would the future of architecture look like?

For a long time, mankind has dwelled upon the past to find answers to what exists. We often go into the past to find mistakes that can be resolved in the present for the future. We work in the present with a vision for the future. We are always striving for better outcomes as we move forward. In the world of architecture, there is no one way of doing things. 

Just like this world is a combination of various elements, so is architecture. The one that fits into the solution best is the one that is applied. No future is ever built without working for it in the present. What we work for today will allow us to shape our tomorrow. 

In terms of design, we have made great progress, and are working continuously towards a better tomorrow. Design is a progressive approach of multiple routes applied that take it forward. 

 

Hence, a single path to design is not what can be assumed for the future. To go deeper into this, the future of architecture has various aspects to it. These can be broadly categorised based on one’s approach towards design. 

 

1. Sustainable

To sustain life on earth is to maintain it. Continuous work towards its usability and maintenance will allow for its existence. The concept of sustainability works on these principles. The idea is to design not just built environments but breathable and liveable ones. These environments must not just cater to the people but also to the surroundings. 

With global warming and pollution being at their peak, it has become an essential part of building technology to design sustainable environments. To optimise the usage of an artificial source of energy and pave way for an alternative natural source of energy has become crucial. 

Sustainable environments in the future can focus on the conservation of natural resources, reduction of energy consumption, protecting the ecosystem and improving air, and water quality.

 

Image 1_Sustainable architecture_©www.archilovers.com

 

2. Modular

 

Modularity in Design Is a birth out of modernism wherein repetitive forms are used to create multiple blocks. These blocks then serve as a design that can accommodate several functions. 

 

To make a design modular is to make it a prototype that can fit in any given setting. A single element is broken down into multiple parts. These parts can serve different functions in a way that they can be put in a setting individually or even as a whole and can be multiplied any number of times. 

 

With multiple design strategies, the future holds place for various permutations and combinations based on individual preferences rather than following the norm.

 

Image 2_Modularity_©When Beauty and Efficiency Meet: Modular Architecture – Arch2O.com

 

Image 3_Modularity_©Imgix.net, 2021

 

3. Incremental

 

Incremental design fits the current requirement but also accommodates future utility. In an incremental design, there is a provision for growth within the same existing core. Incrementality in architecture in the future would save the environment of building newer structures and allow the growth of a new space within the existing one. The idea is to multiply the special usage and organisation. 

 

This can be achieved by making the space multifunctional. These can be seen in Kenzo Tange’s housing projects where he tries to accommodate more spaces within a single space such that the function keeps changing but space remains the same.

 

Image 4_Incrementality_©What Does Incrementalism Actually Mean? (andrewalexanderprice.com)

 

Image 5_Incremental design_©(307) Assembly The Incremental Architecture – YouTube

 

4. Portable

 

With travel becoming one of the most interesting activities, architecture that’s portable is rising to growth. With movable furniture to Caravans to displaceable houses, moving to different places has become much more convenient at minimal costs. It’s much easier to migrate from one place to the other with architecture that moves along with you. 

 

That way you don’t have to spend time shifting, building new spaces and losing connection with the older ones. They don’t require a fixed place and can be transferred easily without digging up the earth. It’s more economic and user-friendly.

 

Image 6_Portable architecture_©Made to Move: Architecture That Pops, Floats, Rolls and Defies Regulation – Architizer Journal

 

5. Recycle

 

With global warming being on the rise and pollution due to the manufacturing and construction process, tons of material go to waste every year. It is difficult to renew these materials and reuse them due to their chemical compositions. But an alternate way of using these materials would be by recycling them. 

 

The image below shows a house made out of glass bottles. This not only saves the energy to recycle glass but also improves the thermal quality of the space by allowing for maximum daylight within the house and resistance to external cold. Many other materials such as used bricks, plastic bottles, etc., are being used to build small structures. 

 

Perhaps recycling architecture can be a way to sustainable living in the future.

 

Image 7_Recycling architecture_©Recycled Construction Materials for Your House (activerain.com)

 

6. Prefabrication

 

With higher structures coming into the picture as cities are growing vertically, newer and faster technology is required to speed up the construction process. Prefabrication is widely being used in constructing concrete, wood, steel structures. 

 

This technology will only grow with time and has a wider scope in the future. It saves time and gives great accuracy that cannot be achieved by manual labour. 

 

Image 8_Prefabrication_©3 Reasons Why Prefabrication Is the Future of Architecture – Architizer Journal

 

7. 3D modelling

 

Modelling software makes it easy to generate smaller scale models of buildings to check for design quality. These save labour time and cost and are currently in process of being used for real-scale projects wherein a machine is used to create the entire structure. 

 

Through this technology, one can go beyond the regular solid shapes and design fluidic and more organic structures.

 

Image 9_3D modelling_©3D Printing Architecture: 17 facts on the potential of this combination | Archiobjects

 

Image 10_3D modelling_©Postgraduate in 3D Printing Architecture – IAAC Barcelona

 

8. Universal

 

Acceptance towards all types of people is what design is continuously striving for. With ancient temples only having stairs to now accommodating ramps show not just the physical change but also the social change. Design is moving towards being more flexible, convenient, accepting, and universal. 

 

This is not just a spatial change but also a mental change that enhances the outlook towards people around. This is to make each one feel inclusive and an equal part of society. 

 

Image 11_Universal Design_©Basic Convenient Facilities < Convenient Facilities < Metro 9 Guide <Metro9

 

Image 12_Universal Design_© knowledgeone.ca

 

9. Vertical cities

 

The concept of ‘metabolism’ as stated by architect Kenzo Tange was a utopian idea of how the future would look like. He suggested that cities would grow vertically and humans would accommodate these spaces as they grew vertically. These spaces would be plugins to the core and would continue to grow. 

As we know, today, architecture is growing more vertically than horizontally due to various factors, lack of space being one of the major factors.  So, it is only possible for one to expect a future with cities growing vertically. Cities might also merge with smaller towns leading to higher consumption of land. 

Urban land due to higher commercial activities is being permitted to a higher Floor Area Ratio. Hence, flexibility and change in regulations also play a role in allowing cities to grow upward. 

 

Image 13_Vertical cities_©www.archiweb.cz

 

Image 14_Vertical growth_©Vertical Cities: 12 Towers Take Urban Density to the Skies | Urbanist (weburbanist.com)

Virtual reality

Building design systems have become more complex with time due to their varied functions, composite designs and organic forms. We have stepped out of the box to create designs that are difficult but possible to build. For such work of precision trial and error on the actual scale would lead to wastage of an abundant amount of resources. 

Rather, technology is developing in the field of virtual reality wherein the efficiency of a building, its performance, and response to surroundings can be generated. A greater depth of research is ongoing concerning virtual reality. 

However, virtual reality is also taking a turn in the gaming world, making it a booming career opportunity for individuals to design and create unrealistic yet interesting worlds on a system. This boosts the imagination quotient of an individual.

Image 15_Virtual reality_©How Virtual Environments Could Help Architects ? – Arch2O.com

Utopia 

Utopia is a dreamt reality. It’s all the imaginary thoughts of an individual coming to the picture. It’s what one envisions of the future. It’s going beyond the conventional methods and looking at a futuristic world. The idea of utopia adds fuel to a creative mind, allowing one to imagine a completely different world much ahead of the concepts of science. 

These may or may not occur in the years to come, but it surely opens different perspectives to a world most of which can be experienced in movies.

Image 16_Utopian Design_©magazine.artstation.com  

Dystopia

Everything on earth is nothing more than just matter. These are substances that can deplete with time and get exhausted due to overuse. For some, the idea of the future looks like a dystopia where one is void of all the essentials we were surviving on. It can mean the end of nature’s capacity to grow. 

It can also mean the end of the world. Hence, overconsumption of resources might lead to a situation where we no longer have it. Hence sustenance and conserving the existing resources is the only way to be able to see a future. 

Image 17_dystopia_©Nocookie.net.(2021)

“As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown.” – Norman Foster

Images Reference links 

1. Archilovers. (n.d.). Archilovers | The professional network for Architects and Designers. [online] Available at: http://www.archilovers.com  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
2.  Anon, (n.d.). Modular Architecture: When Beauty and Efficiency Meet – Arch2O.com. [online] Available at: https://www.arch2o.com/language-modular-architecture/#google_vignette  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021]
3. Imgix.net. (2021). [online] Available at: https://archinect.imgix.net/uploads/b5/b59df09100dcd6a725854240a2a8ed5b.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
4. Price, A. (n.d.). What Does Incrementalism Actually Mean? [online] Andrew Alexander Price. Available at: https://andrewalexanderprice.com/blog20180905.php#.YIpQMe3is2x  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
5. www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Assembly The Incremental Architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxudhuhWEEY  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
6. Journal. (2016). Made to Move: Architecture That Pops, Floats, Rolls and Defies Regulation – Architizer Journal. [online] Available at: https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/collections/portable-architecture/  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
7. Rainer 72, Creek, 172 D.K.-L.L.R.R.E.L.R.W.R. 306Coconut and Blogsmartphone954-529-9203, Fl. (n.d.). Recycled Construction Materials for Your House. [online] ActiveRain. Available at: https://activerain.com/blogsview/5199236/tips-for-using-recyclable-materials-in-your-building-plans  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
8. Journal. (2019). 3 Reasons Why Prefabrication Is the Future of Architecture – Architizer Journal. [online] Available at: https://architizer.com/blog/practice/materials/prefabrication-the-future-of-architecture/  [Accessed 12 May 2020].
9. Onniboni, L. (2015). 3D Printing Architecture: 17 facts on the potential of this combination. [online] Archiobjects. Available at: https://www.archiobjects.org/3d-printing-architecture/  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
10. IAAC. (n.d.). Postgraduate in 3D Printing Architecture – IAAC Barcelona. [online] Available at: https://iaac.net/educational-programmes/applied-research-programmes/otf-3d-printing-architecture/  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
11. www.metro9.co.kr. (n.d.). METRO9. [online] Available at: https://www.metro9.co.kr/site/homepage/menu/viewMenu?menuid=002001005001001  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
12. Knowledgeone.ca. (2021). [online] Available at: https://knowledgeone.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/universal-design.jpg  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
13. www.archiweb.cz. (n.d.). Archiweb. [online] Available at: http://www.archiweb.cz/  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
14. WebUrbanist. (2015). Vertical Cities: 12 Towers Take Urban Density to the Skies. [online] Available at: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://weburbanist.com/2015/06/17/vertical-cities-12-towers-take-urban-density-to-the-skies/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1619681429856000&usg=AOvVaw0MotFEpYHnFeAmh1HAdDCz  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
15. Anon, (n.d.). How Virtual Environments Could Help Architects ? – Arch2O.com. [online] Available at: https://www.arch2o.com/virtual-augmented-reality-could-help-architects/  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
16. Artstation.com. (2021). [online] Available at: https://magazine.artstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Utopia-1.jpeg  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].
17. Nocookie.net. (2021). [online] Available at: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/evil/images/0/09/The_Dystopia.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151001211231  [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].