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UTOPIA OR DYSTOPIA – A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE
UTOPIA OR DYSTOPIA – A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE

From mud huts to skyscrapers, architecture has evolved immensely over centuries and across many different conditions and cultures. With these ever-changing conditions such as material sourcing, natural hazards, climate change and modern population needs, where will architecture be in the future? Let’s theorize the potential ups and downs of the future of architecture…

Evolvement of Architecture in Time

First of all, to look into the future, we must observe the past. Besides the major focal points such as the ancient and new wonders of the world, we should take the architectural culture influence eras into account. As an architecture firm in Istanbul, we can see influences of classic Byzantine (Roman), Greek and Ottoman styles in modern cafe design to high end store and office designs. In the world we can also consider Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Classical and of course Modern and Post-Modern / Neofuturist Architecture. The way the architecture has evolved has generally been more about utilizing spaces more for the public and moving away from rigid design forms into cleaner lines. More recently, with the development of technology, new materials and techniques have been introduced that can take the limits of physics to the edge. Some examples of this can be seen in Zaha Hadid’s designs such as Antwerp Port House, Heydar Aliyev Center and Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre, with her style that can be summed up in her famous question: ““There are 360 degrees. Why stick to one?”

Utopic Architectural Future

With new approaches, technologies and aesthetic concerns, the future of architecture can be utopic in the sense that it can be sustainable, useful and in general can add value to people both individually and as a community. From rotating skyscrapers (almost like kinetic sculptures!) to indoor open spaces and co-working spaces, architecture can play an even bigger role in shaping communities and how we interact with each other. With new types of building materials such as bricks made of mushrooms (mycelium), climatization units with algae, carbon fiber stone as a basic construction material, we can imagine a bright, community-focused and a beautiful future for design.

Dystopic Architectural Future

But… are these research and technological discoveries enough to imagine this bright and utopic future? Together with an ever-growing population and urbanization, we are quickly running out of even the most basic materials such as construction grade sand, with an estimated 40-50 billion tons of sand being extracted from earth per year. Not to mention global warming and the climate change.

Sustainable Future of Architecture

There are communities working for this potential dystopic future to turn into the utopic one. The 2030 challenge is a great example of this. In their words: “The urban built environment is responsible for 75% of annual global GHG emissions: buildings alone account for 39%. Eliminating these emissions is the key to addressing climate change and meeting Paris Climate Agreement targets.” We as YOO Architecture do our best to support United Nations’ sustainable development goals such as include sustainable cities and communities, industry, innovation and infrastructure. Not only as an architecture firm but also individually. Read more about our approach on our blog post in our website: https://www.yoointerior.com/tekfen-fnn-sustainability-center


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