What Will Life and Housing Look Like in the Coming Decades
Increasing demand for more practical housing solutions and with the use of technology rapidly entering every corner of our existence, what can we expect the future of living to look like? Will artificial intelligence and technology move us further away from nature and others? Or help us connect? Here’s a look at the 5 major trends that are bound to impact the future of housing and community living.
More Technology
Smart homes have been around so long that they are not even an innovation anymore. They are just homes. With a lot of gadgets. However, technology is still in its early stages as far as our living conditions are concerned. There are still numerous aspects where technology has not yet been integrated. But, by the looks of the future, it soon will be.
The concept of smart homes will continue to develop over the coming decades. Technology will help us become more efficient and live more comfortably. More processes will become automated. At the same time, more elements will be integrated for easier maintenance, better safety, and wider control.
Pretty soon, we may not have to spend as much time cleaning up, fixing minor issues, or looking after home equipment. The future of living will include fully automated heating and air conditioning systems and security systems. You’ll soon forget what it was like to flip a switch to turn your lights on and off or open your curtains. A phone app will most likely do that for you so you can look after more important things in your life.
Easier Transactions
The main reason behind smart homes, specifically increased efficiency, will also affect the way we handle real estate transactions. With the current pandemic increasing the speed at which digitalization is spreading, the time it will take you to buy a new home will surely be impacted.
All the paperwork going into securing a loan and buying a property will be cut down dramatically. With technology and through digitalization, we will benefit from more efficient processes and more secure transactions. No more aimless running around for certificates and records. If the future will look anything like what we are seeing now, lengthy property transactions will become a thing of the past sooner rather than later.
More Natural Environments
Being stuck at home for so long has also revealed how much we miss being connected to nature. Landscapes of concrete and metal buildings. The endless sight of asphalt for hours when we’re stuck in traffic. One thing is certain. We could all do with a little more natural light, fresh air, and sights of beautiful, lush greenery.
As it happens, architects have been planning these healthy, green home concepts for some time now. They’re only now coming into the spotlight, but connection to nature in our living environments has been brewing for a while.
Access to more natural light and fresh air is directly related to the quality of life because it impacts how well we sleep and how stressed we feel. So, it makes sense that the future of living will take this into account. More and more residential projects are adding rooftop gardens, walls of green inside or outside the buildings. Or private balcony gardens. It’s all about bringing the outside in and supporting the environment.
Greener and healthier home concepts are slowly but surely entering the housing market. They come with larger windows, better ventilation and air filtering systems, more natural materials, and fewer emissions. All aspects to look forward to for better living conditions and a healthier, eco-friendly life.
More Communal Spaces
When it comes to efficient and convenient living, the concept of communal spaces is on everyone’s lips. From architects to developers and city planners, everyone is beginning to understand that this is an ideal solution for solving the acute housing shortage.
To care for our resources, we need to find sustainable and innovative solutions. Sharing is one of them. Think about the concept of communal gardens. It’s becoming increasingly popular because it not only provides a green space for residents to enjoy. It also offers the opportunity to get involved in planting and growing food for the entire community, increasing the sense of connection with nature and with others.
The future of living may include a new outlook on communal spaces. An extension of it if you will. Several pioneers and developers are currently looking into pooling resources and sharing more than just gardens.
Future homes may include more types of communal spaces. From social gathering spaces to communal kitchens and lunch halls, play areas, or even living areas. These are concepts that can improve quality of life by improving the sense of comfort and connection among community members.
Better Construction Solutions
Last but not least, the construction industry will surely look differently in the future. The housing shortage needs to be counteracted with speed and innovation.
With the increasing popularity of modular homes, 3D printing, and eco-building concepts, the future of living is bound to include faster and more efficient solutions. As well as less waste and emissions. Modular homes alone represent a solution that can cut the time it takes to build a new home by half. Add to this the possibilities of using more natural and environmentally friendly building materials, less dust and debris, and you have the homes of the future.
The way modular homes work is very cost and time effective. Each module is built off-site and then installed on-site, reducing the amount of work carried on on-site to simple groundwork and putting together the modules.
Modular homes are also sustainable because they use simpler building concepts that require fewer materials. In addition, the materials they do use are much more efficient and lead to less waste. As for the environment, less site work will lead to fewer emissions, less debris, and less construction dust which is very harmful to our health.
Another aspect we can’t forget is the lower cost of these construction innovations. Cutting down the time it takes to build a home and using better and more efficient materials will also translate into lower prices. For instance, a 3D-printed home by US manufacturer Apis Cor is sold for about £12,000. That could dramatically change the current home prices and make owning a home more affordable for an increasing number of people.
