Architects as Problem-Solvers

Sure, every individual structure requires solving a myriad of problems. But there are many global problems that architects are working to resolve as well. 

As the world’s population increases, so does its poor, who often do not have the financial resources for, or access to, adequate housing. Architects and planners often collaborate on schemes to provide good housing for all income levels— finding ways to finance and renovate older structures and abandoned factories, or using new factory-built units for affordable apartments in developments large and small.

Another issue is the aging population. In many countries, architects are modifying traditional housing types to allow people to age in place, and to accommodate the growing trend of multi-generational living, where parents, grandparents and children share the same dwelling. Features such as flexible spaces that can be easily divided and/or converted to various uses, laundry rooms on each floor, and first-floor master suites are some ways architectural designs are responding to the needs of a range of age groups.

What about when disaster strikes? Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons can destroy property and leave people homeless. An easily deployable quick fix is needed to house hundreds or thousands of people in the wake of the storm. Architects are designing solutions. Here are just a few examples.

California firms envision a low-cost housing unit made of prefab, modular elements that can be assembled in many designs.

You’ll also find that architects have a history of volunteering to assist neighborhoods that have sufferedfrom tornados, hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. Habitat for Humanity is a popular choice for architects who can lend their smarts to designing and building cost-effective, energy-efficient, and sustainable new housing for storm-ravaged areas.

With the move to greener, more sustainable buildings it’s not just the mechanical systems that make the difference.

Many cities are thinking about bringing agriculture into cities.

With our urban spaces becoming increasingly crowded, the rush is on to make food safe, more readily available, and more economical for millions of city dwellers—that is, to make cities centers of food production. Vertical farming (where vegetation is grown on various levels of a building), farms on the roof, and indoor hydroponic farms are all part of that solution. But there’s more: check out Sweden’s World Food Building which, when completed, will be part office building, part wonder farm—a high-production entity fueled to the extent possible by waste products.

Architects have always had to take climatic considerations into account in building for extreme locations.

Architects have always had to take climatic considerations into account in building for desert locations and colder areas, rainy locations, and coastal environments—and some architects specialize in designing for the most extreme and remotest places on the planet. But climate change has thrown a curveball: more extreme—and volatile—weather for all of us. It’s already begun: major floods and earthquakes, below zero temperatures, super hot summers, killer wildfires. In the coming years, architects along with engineers and planners will be grappling with how to design resilient buildings and cities. Think new spins on flood-proof housing (floatable houses?)…schools that kids can actually get to in 40 below temperatures…decreasing the spread of fires within and between structures…and many more strategies to protect us from natural disasters.