Architecture has come a long way in establishing that it is more than just a means of boosting a building’s artistic and visual worth. Over the previous several decades, this area has expanded to include numerous aspects of design such as urban planning, décor products, and landscape, among others. In addition, technology innovation has been a critical fuelling factor in business in recent years. In this article, we will learn about the emerging architectural trends that will impact the future.
A variety of trends are sweeping the discipline of architecture, like any other. Fortunately, this is moving away from the field’s traditional ideas and rigid reputation. These developments are purposeful outcomes of revolutionary issues such as sustainable architecture, online resources, robotic systems, parametricism, and so on. It is time to reconsider our approaches, combine our aesthetic sensibilities with technology, and build something beyond our wildest dreams.
Emerging Architectural Trends that will Impact the Future
We have listed down 8 emerging architectural trends that will reshape the future of this industry.
01. Sustainable Design
Sustainable architecture attempts to create buildings that are useful in the present and in the future. These buildings have a low environmental impact and use less energy to benefit future generations. Many of the strategies and ideas employed in this sector are based on old construction traditions that underwent modification due to the industrial age’s development of new materials and mass manufacturing. With global climate change, sustainable design has virtually evolved into a distinct niche, equipped with its own character.
A green building is a structure that, throughout its lifecycle, uses fewer resources and is environmentally conscious. In addition to offering the same advantages as traditional structures, they also preserve important resources like energy and water while enhancing human health and well-being.
If you want to take a deep dive into sustainable architecture trends, here is a detailed blog on the same:
Living Life with Sustainability in Mind – Trends in Sustainable Architecture
02. VR and Immersive Architecture
Imagine yourself experiencing your design even before it is built. Virtual reality is changing our perception of buildings. The use of virtual reality technology aids in creating and optimising connections between various areas, light sources, building structures, and materials utilized in a project. It has evolved into a proactive strategy for making architecture efficient and accessible to everybody. This technology trend will help designers with all aspects of their projects, from the early concept stage through collaboration and partnerships, and final touches.
03. Building Information Modeling
You have heard of BIM, or Building Information Modelling if you work in the AEC industry. The pandemic had confined us all to our homes, making it impossible for everyone to share their thoughts and collaborate with the team. This has most likely underlined the significance of contemporary design tools like BIM, which has changed the way the stakeholders and workers collaborate for a project. It is now feasible to connect all aspects of the building process, including design, civil works, MEP, HVACS, and so on.
04. Smart Cities
Smart city concept helps improve the overall infrastructure of the city and uplifts the economic growth. Cities may house over 70% of the world’s population by 2050. This entails more urban difficulties such as traffic congestion, liveability index, transportation, pollution, and so on. The notion of smart cities may effectively address most of these difficulties. Smart cities come with number of features like smart health care system, healthcare, governance, transportation system, smart infrastructure, better job opportunities, and many more amenities for a comfortable living.
05. Vertical Living and Modular Architecture
Land is a scarce commodity in this modern world. Moreover, it is predicted that by 2050, about 70% of the world’s population will have moved to cities. Designers must devise strategies that will allow them to develop great, livable cities within this space restriction. Vertical architecture is the most apparent and effective answer to our land dilemma. But, as you go higher, you need more structural framework to support the structures. That is where prefabricated, lightweight materials come into use.
With the development of vertical living, another architectural trend that is sweeping the globe is modular design. This concept, like Lego bricks, harnesses the repetition of a single dwelling module to construct massive living cities. The Interlace in Singapore is the best example of modular design combined with vertical construction.
06. Parametric Design
One of the emerging architectural trends is parametric design. It is an architect’s most powerful tool for combining spectacular aesthetics with practical design. It raises questions about the typical way of approaching a design problem, but it also offers several options. But how can this tool generate such fluid forms? In reaction to certain external criteria, all components of the design become flexible and mutually adaptive. One can adjust the components to rely on factors such as climatic analysis and geology using a controlled algorithm.
07. 3D Printing
Today, we want everything done swiftly, and construction is no exception. Though prefab and precast materials help to speed up the process, there is a need for more specialised and detail-oriented equipment. As a result, 3D printers have emerged as a game-changing tool for architects. 3D printing is already being used to produce entire dwellings, commercial buildings, and other structures, rather than mere visualisation models. The effectiveness of these methods used by 14Trees’ Affordable Housings in Malawi, Africa to illustrate the accessibility and sustainable approach.
If you want to know in depth about 3D printed concrete house, here we share an interesting and informative blog for you: Introduction to 3D Printed Concrete House!
08. Innovative Material Optimization
Are we still happy with the fabrics we used a century ago? Building a structure out of brick or concrete and calling it good enough is no longer satisfactory. As we speak, scientists are developing strong, long-lasting materials. The good news is that most of these new generation materials are extracted from natural sources like hempcrete and cork. In fact, biomaterials are outperforming carbon-intensive staples like concrete. While some materials like self-healing concrete and pollution absorbing bricks are solving global challenges like waste management.
How did the Pandemic Affect the Future of Architecture?
The global pandemic had an abrupt impact on architecture and design, drastically deviating it from its course. The first factors to alter because of the global crisis were design ideals. We now believe in physically separate but socially connected spaces. As a result, everything from residential layout to commercial design underwent changes. In fact, this promotes the emergence of modular architecture. We also had to reconsider our material selections, choosing for antibacterial and self-healing palettes.
Conclusion
One would believe that with the arrival of AI and the metaverse, the future of architects and architecture is bleak. In contrast, they are employing current technology to create cutting-edge design possibilities. These have aided in expediting the design process and producing results that are more beneficial. In addition, using technologies like VR and BIM, it will be simple to collaborate with many stakeholders. In conclusion, we can say that to remain relevant in the future, it is necessary to integrate emerging architectural trends and technologies.
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Author
Srishti Dasgupta is an architect and writer. Her passion for art initiated her interest in Architecture. The creative field also inspired her to explore various aspects of art and culture. She intends to keep capturing the rationalities of everyday world, integrated with the creative world through different mediums.