News to UseTECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON DESIGN At Point to Point, we continue to scour the trade pubs, newspapers and Internet for new insights to help you grow your business. In this installment of News to Use, we take a look at how technology is affecting the design of our homes, hospitals and commercial structures. We examine some of the latest trends. We look at emerging technologies. And we explore some of the new challenges architects and designers are facing. We hope you find the information helpful as you continue to build a deeper connection with the A&D community.
Home of tomorrow: more technology, less space According to “The Home of the Future” study – polls of architects, designers, and building industry manufacturers conducted by the National Association of Home Builders’ economics group – new homes in the near future will offer buyers a blend of technological advancements and flexible living space.
The study shows that the next generation of new-home buyers wants lots of amenities. They’re asking for things like two master bedroom suites, large bathrooms with walk-in showers and separate tubs, custom-built professional kitchens, and kitchenettes in master bathrooms.
Homebuyers are also asking for more automation. A study by the Consumer Electronics Association showed that in a five-year span, the number of American homes with some form of computer networking that automates security, entertainment and lighting and mechanical systems jumped by 5.5 million.
What homebuyers aren’t asking for is more space. In fact, for the first time in over three decades, home sizes are not increasing.
According to the experts, new homebuilders will likely offer reshaped space before complete automation packages. But as the generation raised on iPods, Blackberrys and video games enters the market, expect home automation to be fully embraced.
the changing definition of “luxury” will have on your brands? Have you contemplated how it will alter how we show room settings and how it will change the manner in which we portray the people in these rooms?
Even more important, are you examining how these changing perceptions will change how consumers currently connect with your brand?
From: Newsday.com
The Future of Commercial Interiors The future of commercial interiors rests on a virtual kaleidoscope of factors. Consumer demands, workforce demographics, the economy, and the ever-growing influence of sustainability and green design are driving trends and reshaping interiors into something more future-ready. Buildings Magazine took a look at how various commercial interiors might be changing in the coming years and decades.
Future Retail Centers | Despite grave predictions that Internet shopping would be the death of the brick-and-mortar store, companies are investing more than ever in their store designs. Expect retailers to continue to pull out all the stops in an effort to create a more experiential, distinctive design, with more multimedia settings, experimental window treatments and wall coverings, unique floorings, non-traditional paint colors and fixtures, and yes, even sensory smells.
The modern evolution of retail design is also focusing on minimalization. Many retailers are taking cues from the upscale market, displaying fewer products to make it more pleasant for consumers.
Future Workplaces | Over the next 25-35 years, the American workplace will witness a massive demographic shift and workspaces will reflect this change.
The greatest change will be a shift from independent working environments to those that foster collaboration. Currently, personal spaces make up about 70% of a typical office environment. Experts predict that number to decrease to about 30% as a new generation enters the workforce.
Already, clients are requesting more collaborative space, such as small “convergence rooms” where groups can work together, phone call rooms for private calls and teaming rooms where a few people can brainstorm together.
The 1:1 ratio of workspace per person is also changing. A concept known as “free address” is taking hold. In a free-address office, no one is assigned a desk. Offices are available, but instead of holing up in specific workspaces, workers move around during the day on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Another trend is the push toward standardization spaces. With this concept, facilities’ teams and designers work together to create floor templates that allow different tenants to use the same space without having much to change once the lease expires.
From: Buildings
Architects asked to be more flexible Today’s homeowners are looking for a whole lot more flexibility in their homes, and architects are responding.
The latest innovation is a concept called Life Cycle Housing, where architects design homes that can grow and change as the homeowners go through different stages of their lives. For example, a builder may offer a home with three bedrooms today, but he’ll give the new owner the option to finish an attic or garage area as needed to accommodate a new child or a parent that comes to live with the family. Other homes will be placed on lots large enough for the owners to add an addition for a family room or sitting area, and the owner can see the plans for the addition when the original house is purchased. This will also help when the owner wants to sell the home since the floor plan is flexible and can meet the needs of many potential buyers.
Flexibility is all the rage within the walls of the house, as well. Architects are adding flex space above the garage for later additions such as in-law suites and home offices. They’re also adding more places for casual entertaining, such as front porches and expanded kitchens. And they’re making once strictly formal rooms more multi-functional. For example, many new custom homes come with bookshelves built into the dining room so the area can be used as a substitute home office or study area when not used for formal entertaining.
From: Metropolitan Builders Association
Five ‘must have’ home technology trends
From: Market Watch
Architects & designers revisiting hotels Consultants foresee a variety of trends and factors shaping hotel design in the coming years.
One of the most significant is technology. As guests demand to be plugged into their home, office, or the Internet at any time, designers have the opportunity to create functional designs that incorporate forward-thinking concepts to accommodate tech-savvy travelers.
Lobbies are becoming multifunctional spaces again. More and more, people who travel alone don’t want to be by themselves. So they’re gravitating to the lobby, where they can open up their laptop, have a meeting or just hang out.
Architects are also cognizant of the fact that space is finite. So designers and architects are creating mixed-use flexible spaces in their hotels, such as a spa by day that serves as a lounge at night.
The real challenge will be to create a design at a much lower cost to offset the growing price tag of construction.
Other trends that architects note:
From: Hotel & Motel Management
Technology forces teamwork in design process Part of a larger “smart technology” movement, structured wiring is becoming more of a reality as capabilities go up and prices go down. And while virtually every project involves a considerable amount of technology, most designers don’t understand enough about it or how to apply it.
The heart of the learning curve is the need to adapt to the team concept of design. Twenty years ago, one person designed a whole house. To deal with technology, new strategies, standards and partnerships are being developed and architects, interior designers and consultants are starting to work together. And design firms who use technology consultants will have the competitive edge.
While teamwork may count as the most crucial component of designing with smart technology, planning is the most challenging. Experts believe flexibility is the key and stress the importance of not designing so specifically for technology that it cannot be adaptable. Because technology is changing so rapidly, designers need to be able to forecast as much as possible and allow for flexibility.
Getting advice early is a key issue for designers and homeowners.
From: Perspective
Understanding the challenges of healthcare design Healthcare design, more than any other project type, is governed by the challenge of two divergent needs – to accommodate technology and people equally well in an environment where poor planning can literally mean the difference between health and sickness, or even life and death.
The challenge is complex. While buildings are more or less permanent, technology is constantly changing. Which means architects must design a certain level of flexibility into their structures so that it doesn’t have to be completely redesigned every time a new technology is introduced.
Patients, like technology, are also in a state of evolutionary flux. They are subject to ever-changing tastes and preferences when it comes to comfort, which is critical to the healing process. And utmost efficiency is the primary requirement of the staff, probably the most put-upon user group in the equation.
The architect’s job, of course, is to take the needs of two completely different user groups – technology and people – and meld them into one seamless, functional and uplifting facility that is mutually supportive.
To accomplish this, architects and designers are looking to new and innovative solutions. The next advance in healthcare design lies in the concept of creating universal rooms known as “variable acuity rooms.” Traditionally, a patient might start out in the ICU and eventually be moved to another room. Now, new thinking keeps patients in one place and brings the necessary care to them, regardless of how their medical needs change. Having a room behave like a high-acuity room, but also a going-home type of room, will challenge designers to be flexible and design different functions into one space.
Tying into this concept is what designer Linda Gabel, senior associate at NBBJ in Columbus, Ohio, refers to as “same-handed” design, where all patient rooms and staff support spaces are designed the same to make routine tasks and treatment processes flow seamlessly from room to room and floor to floor.
An improvement of materials has also changed the way rooms and public areas are designed. Enhanced anti-microbial properties, more durable finishes, and other technological advances have given a fashionable design edge to these formerly white sterile-looking environments. Rubber flooring is making an impact on healthcare design. And carpet, once shunned in most healthcare settings, is starting to find a niche in facilities as stain resistance, durability and maintenance factors improve.
Compiled From: Contract and Buildings
Helpful hints on smart classroom design Smart classrooms – those that incorporate technology for everything from light control to computers to projectors – are becoming more and more prevalent. And they’re providing a lot of challenges during the design process. To better understand these challenges, we thought it would be helpful to see what advice and insight technology experts at the schools have to offer about the design process, working with architects, and technical issues. Here’s a short list:
From: University Business