Areas to Explore in Architecture

The world is changing and with it, architecture. We don’t seem to need to focus on office space, as there is currently too much. Also, many are still working remotely as we move past the pandemic. The quality of life relying on our contemporary technology has increased, and yet, it seems people are as productive or more so than ever before. Therefore, residential design is very important in the current era. The residence is the workplace, so there could be some development of the program, where housing serves many purposes.

Beyond workplace and the home, a huge push should be a change of focus onto reuse and refurbishment. It is often said that the most environmentally friendly building is the one that already exists. In addition, there is so much inventory around cities, that we don’t need to build new. So, why is this not the case? Partially, it is about the mindset of the client–new is new, and new is better. However, we can change this perspective with some work discussed in the next paragraph. The real problem is the cost of labor to complete the work. There are many changes and additions that are necessary to make a structure hold a new or contemporary program. Exploring the solutions, including modes of making and robots, is the key to successfully meeting the needs to allow reuse economically.

Another area that should be explored is the use of architecture to improve peoples lives. Both for health and environmental reasons, architecture needs to evolve. The design and structure of furniture, buildings, and cities can drastically change a person’s life, and they may not even realize it. In addition, it is important to explore how to encourage people to move or live better lives. The built environment can do this, but can we use social and traditional medias to influence people to live better lives? Is this a campaign? What is the strategy?

Here are some other areas to explore:

  • Cultural Architecture–Where and how do people experience sprots, events, and performances? What is the future for these, especially in the face of technology?
  • Hotels and Hospitality–How do we make a more comfortable environment for travelers? What are the big ideas, beyond a clean, safe space?
  • Government Architecture–With technology, can we scale back government structures?
  • Schools and Education–How are education and educational facilities changing? How can we make education better? How can designed space help a student learn?
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