What will the homes of the future look like?

From trampolines and bathroom TVs to indoor slides and self-cooking ovens, we all have childhood dreams of what our future home will look like. As we get older and move into mundane suburban semis or modernist apartments, it’s easy to forget our crazy and wonderful childhood plans for a fun, futuristic life. But with the climate crisis growing more pressing, design becoming more experimental, and technology taking over, the future of housing looks bright.

The House Museum has ingeniously blended wild imaginary worlds with truly practical solutions for our rapidly changing society. Their creations exist as ‘A Converted Flat in 2049’, an evolving project from Northumbria University’s Interaction Research Studio and supported by Innovo, which is currently on display at the museum. “Their playful designs and participatory research embody new ideas about what our homes and behaviors might look like in the near future,” says Danielle Patten, the museum’s director of creative programs and collections. Danielle hopes the room will act as a “powerful tool for learning, inspiration and cultural reflection, helping society navigate and shape the changes to come.” “The history of the future is a rich subject of research. It’s fascinating to look back at how previous generations imagined the future. In fact, the Victorians predicted the future and predicted the invention of video calls! » explains Sonia Solicari, the director of the museum. “We are still somewhat stuck in the ‘Mad Max’ of the 1960s or 1980s, a dystopian future and our work at the museum responds to that. As a result, this room could become one of the most dynamic rooms in the museum. The 2024 version of 2049 Living will, as Sonia explains, still be an interesting slice of history.

In order to plan and create this “future” apartment, the designers defined a set of situational parameters, including the bursting of the River Thames due to an extreme weather event, a green economic revolution and a drop in greenhouse gases. greenhouse. Additionally, in the early 2040s, the government chose Kent as a home for the three million climate refugees, leading to “New Kent” joining the EU. With all of this in mind, what cultural, social and design elements do they anticipate will come into play in the apartment they are considering in Hackney?

Intergenerational life

The converted 2049 apartment is home to five fictional residents: 81-year-old Jo, middle-aged Mila and her partners Yusuf and Bolanie, and 19-year-old son Ali. A quarter of all adults aged 25 to 34 now live in a multi-generational living situation, according to new research, and there are currently 1.8 million multi-generational households in the UK, which is a significant increase on the beginning of the century. This makes sense, especially due to population growth and the increase in the number of households, which in turn influence real estate demand and property prices. According to a government study, a 1% increase in the number of households leads to a 2% increase in house prices and between 1991 and 2016 a 32% price increase, with Hackney in London being one of the largest growth areas. An aging population will also lead to a growing need for care from younger generations, making intergenerational living even more necessary. “Granny annexes” and other forms of multi-generational homes may well become the norm in the future, something the UK and US have largely avoided until now, but which remains popular in many countries and cultures around the world.

Architect Richard Parr believes that the key to designing a shared space is to “maintain or create a certain degree of separation”. Even though open floor plans have been a dominant trend over the past few decades, it’s not so fun when you’re living in a shared space. stay close to your children or parents at all times (which we were forced home during the pandemic). As Richard continues: “Instead of turning two equal-sized rooms into one large space, why not use three-quarters of it. for an entertainment room – a center where people can gather – and the other area as a small office? It’s best to be flexible, so we often use screens or sliding doors to allow areas to be closed off as needed. If many people have to use the space to do different things at the same time, it doesn’t work. Life is not a party. He also makes a very good point about location, stating that “the countryside has obvious advantages in terms of space. Some of our clients were looking for rural properties with outbuildings – woodsheds, lean-tos, barns – that could be converted into self-contained accommodation for family members. We created separate housing for elderly parents and also living spaces for caregivers,” he explains, adding that “we were also asked to create space for the younger generation so that they can live independently but nearby” – perhaps a response to the surge in childcare. costs.

As for making a townhouse work for future intergenerational households, Richard advises making the most of underutilized or neglected spaces. “Maybe everyone shouldn’t have to go to the kitchen to make coffee or warm up the bottle,” he explains. “In many recent projects, we have added these facilities in underutilized corners. A half landing can be transformed into a kitchenette, where someone in the house can prepare a snack without having to join the rest of the house in down.”

Sustainability

The climate crisis is a major factor in the apartment transformation of 2049, and for good reason. Heating and energy efficiency in homes have seen significant advances over the past decade or more, with a strong emphasis on sustainability. Renewable energy systems like solar panels, heat pumps and geothermal heating have become more common (although heat pumps are notoriously expensive and unsuitable for many pre-existing buildings), while smart thermostats optimize energy consumption by learning household habits. Improved insulation materials – such as spray foam and triple-glazed windows – help reduce heat loss and energy consumption. Radiant floor heating, which provides even heat throughout all rooms, has grown in popularity, and the rise of net-zero and Passivhaus designs emphasizes energy-efficient living through insulation, airtight construction and the use of renewable energy.