The Problem With Future Proofing
Terms such as future proofing have their moments in the sun. For the last couple of years we have regularly used these words, and often in conjunction with sustainability. It’s as though by making architecture and design ‘proofed’ for the future, nothing needs to be done for the foreseeable lifetime of a building.
Although the idea seems entirely appropriate, given the concern for the environment, future proofing is extremely difficult to achieve. Let’s face it, architecture and design – as well as fashion and decorative arts – is about change: some voluntary, some due to changes in society, technology or environmental. Because these industries are inherently linked to humans and their interaction with the world, and these things are constantly in flux, change is really inevitable. Yes, people can install a lift in their homes to ensure it remains responsive to their needs as they age, but surely there are few, if any, homes that remain in aspic. The lift may stay (although even this might be upgraded over a lifetime), but the entire décor is likely to change. If it didn’t, we would all be scrambling for work!
We also see future proofing thrown around in reference to the workplace. A presentation to the client including these words perhaps puts them at ease that the money spent on the build is a good investment, not just for now, but importantly for the long term. But a static workplace is rarely, if at all, presented to a client. To state the obvious – workplaces have changed significantly over the last few decades, and they’ll continue to evolve in line with changing work practices. The separate enclosed office was the norm at one point. Then we saw a move towards activated breakout spaces that could be used for either informal meetings, or simply areas to chill out with work colleagues. Other workplaces changed more dramatically, with staff persuaded through a design to forgo territorial boundaries. These shifts in workplace design could not have been foreseen a decade-or-so ago.
Rather than using the term future proofing, perhaps the term ‘flexibility’ is better suited to our purposes. It makes more sense to imbue a design with flexibility.
So, for example, a child’s bedroom can easily morph into a home office after they fly the coop. Likewise, it makes sense to include retractable acoustic-treated doors between two rooms that can be left open to form one larger space to cater for greater numbers. But to say this feature is future proofed is setting up unrealistic expectations for a client.
What seems more realistic is to be able to provide spaces across all design arenas that can easily adapt to change. Any modifications to a design will entail a cost. Replacing finishes and fixtures, as many do over a period of time, is ingrained in design. Very few, if any, expect a design to last for an eternity. Clearly if it did, this would be a miracle – particularly given the rapid evolution of technology and, relative to this, how we live and work.
The other concern around future proofing is the move by architects and designers to play it far too safe. Wanting a design to be as relevant in 20 or 30 years’ time is an enormous ask for even the most insightful designer.
You may be able to predict certain shifts in the design arena – whether it’s domestic, workplace, hospitality or in the educational sector. But there are changes every day, along with innovative discoveries, that make concepts redundant. Technology is moving at such a rate that it becomes difficult to create a design for the long term.
So, let’s stop leaning quite so heavily on the term future proofing and realise that our profession is built upon change – some incremental, others causing a paradigm shift that necessitates a completely different way of thinking. Please contact this writer if something is completely future proofed, whether it’s a home or a workplace. I feel confident in saying that if it’s exactly the same in 50 years’ time, I will eat my words or, more correctly, digest this highly overused phrase.