Essay On Future Of Architecture

The future of architecture is being shaped by practices which are redefining the way buildings are designed and built. The idea of producing buildings along an assembly line has fascinated architects and engineers ever since the Fifties. However, even if most components and some sub-assemblies are actually industrialized in many countries, construction is still an expensive trade-oriented site-intensive handicraft activity. The 21st Century is now observing a major backlash against before situation. In the United States, notably, many young architects are clearly saying “No” to the actual way of building and proposing instead the way cars, airplanes and ships are built: “We need a new vision of process, not just product…The world, and our clients, have seen what has been accomplished in other manufacturing fields: ships, airplanes and cars” (Habraken, N.J) Applied to architecture, the strategies and technologies of construction can generate better buildings at a lower cost, offering quality architecture to the vast majority of people. There is a plus: the precision that goes with factory production can generate simple and demountable materials. For example, dry joints are essential to achieve without any demolition the partial or total reconfiguration required to accommodate the unavoidable changes affecting all human activities.

In part because of collaborative relationships, these architects are not only developing a deeper understanding of basic material properties, building systems and construction a pushing their limits for greater aesthetic and technical performance, they are also recognizing all advances in other fields and transforming them into innovative architectural