We are living during an amazing period of time with rapid change and global innovation. Human society is changing before our very eyes. The world I knew as a pre-internet child no longer exists and the world we are experiencing today will be unrecognizable in less than a decade.
This week at EntreArchitect Podcast I share my thoughts on 6 Technologies That Will Radically Change the Architecture Profession in Less Than 10 Years.
The next generation of technology is coming and it’s going to change the profession radically. Will you be there to take advantage of that opportunity as an early adapter? In the next 5-10 years, these technologies will be mainstream.
- 3D Printing // Design a 3D model of a building or parts of the building on the computer and print it out to see how it would look and work in real life. We’ll no longer be limited to the available parts and products, we’ll be able to 3D print whatever we want!
- Virtual Reality // VR 360 headsets to walk through models virtually. We’ll be able to walk clients through buildings, get decisions made more quickly and plan for lighting and emergency situations.
- Drones // Drones are soon to be introduced as consumer products that you can program to go do what you want it to do. They can be used for photography and videography, but also delivery of materials, marketing, various inspections, even flight-assembled architecture.
- Robots // Can be used to scan the room to create a 3D model of existing conditions, as a demolition crew, and any tasks like painting, excavating, masonry, framing, welding, cutting, and manufacturing in architecture and construction.
- Artificial Intelligence // Imagine computers that are intelligent enough to creatively design buildings. Instead of pre-programming tasks, the system will be able to train itself and improving.
- Cryptocurrency // Bitcoin and electronic currency may eventually be the norm in the future.
These things are coming, so let’s choose, as architects, to become the leaders of them. Machines and technologies will be our tools to change the way we do what we do. Change is inevitable and it’s coming quickly; we can either embrace it or reject it for others to seize.
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Hello Mark,
Great show, enjoyed this latest episode and wanted to share some things I’ve learned about item #6 in this episode. I agree that Bitcoin has already changed the financial transaction process for lots of businesses and offers tremendous potential for the future.
Perhaps one of the most beneficial parts of Bitcoin is the ‘blockchain’ model which allows verification of transactions to be distributed to all parties on the network to ensure trust. Lots of Bitcoin related technology has focused on expanding this technology to other markets outside of financial transactions. One of these that has significant implications for Architects is ‘Smart Contracts.’
Essentially, traditional contracts are like hand drawing, digital signatures are like CAD and smart contracts are the equivalent of BIM. Smart contracts could really allow Architects to gain back more control while at the same time simplifying the contract relationship between owner and builder.
It’s too early to say exactly what will happen but I think this is probably the most beneficial technology to come out of the advent of Bitcoin and has lots of potential for our industry. I’m already looking forward to what this could mean to small firm architects and hope to learn more about it as it evolves!
If you have a chance to speak to an expert about this technology, I am sure there would be lots of us who would like to learn more. Thanks again for all you do for our industry!
Great list.
I often spend far too much time (and money) on Kickstarter browsing the technology category to see what’s coming up in these areas. Exciting times ahead for sure. And if architects time it right, these technologies could be a real boost to their practices.
I also think that the web and digital commerce are technologies that are here today and that architects could still take far greater advantage of.