The House of the Future: 2106
Population growth, changes to our environment and how we live and work may present huge challenges for the UK in the next 100 years, particularly when it comes to housing. The house of the future may have to be self-cooling, self-heating, able to stand up to floods and possibly even be self-sufficient in water and energy.
That’s the prediction of a new report commissioned by Zurich Insurance and carried out by Arup’s award winning architectural practice, Arup Associates. By analysing environment, social, water and energy trends, together Zurich and Arup Associates have identified what the house of the future might look like and so are better able to understand, plan and prepare for the future needs of homeowners and businesses.
‘History shows that we can’t predict the future with absolute certainty, but we can prepare for it. Through this study we have tried to imagine how changes in our environment and working and social lives may impact on the types of homes we’ll live in,’ said Martin Horsler from Zurich.
From an environment point of view our homes will have to reflect possible changes in the weather. Latest projections suggest that by 2080 summers could be up to 7ºC warmer. While summer and autumn could be drier, winters may be wetter so storms could increase in frequency and intensity. Despite this we could face prolonged periods of drought. In response, Zurich and Arup Associates suggest that, 80 to 100 years in the future, homes may need to be largely independent from mains water. Instead they could have sustainable drainage systems, water recycling and storage mechanisms and drought tolerant gardens. The bathroom as we know it may even become a relic of a more indulgent, water rich, past.
If temperatures increase as suggested, the ‘semi’ of the future could be built with solar shades, which can block out 95% of sunlight during the day, roof ventilators and low energy fans all to help keep us cool in the summer. Meanwhile, solar panels, gas-filled triple glazed windows and intelligent insulation could be the norm to keep us warm in winter. In 2106 houses may have to generate their own energy and become less reliant on the national grid. Solar and wind power equipment could be commonplace and our houses could become the battery charger for the family car.
No-one can predict exactly what will happen but innovative thinking will be required so that we are prepared to respond as change happens. Already architects are building houses on stilts in high-risk flood areas such as East Anglia, London, Stratford Upon Avon, Liverpool and Cornwall. In the future, roof gardens could become more popular to help gather water and minimise flood damage or inverted pitched roofs a regular feature to maximise water gathering. Mobile and fully modular houses could be the norm with land an increasingly premium commodity. The flexibility of the modular home would cater for several generations of families living together to save space, expanding and contracting as individual circumstances change.
For more information, go to www.zurich.com and http://www.arup.com/associates
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