Six visionary homebuilders gave Architectural Digest their predictions for what new houses will look like 20 years from now. Although their ideas vary depending on region and clientele, they share the common belief that homes of the future will be smarter, more sustainable, and more connected to community.
In 20 years, houses are likely to be significantly more energy-efficient, highly connected with smart home technology, adaptable to changing needs with flexible room layouts, and built with sustainable materials, featuring features like solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and potentially even integrated urban gardens on roofs or balconies, all while prioritizing comfort and accessibility for diverse lifestyles.
More compact and efficient
Today’s homes have been trending towards smaller footprints, and home builders across the country expect this trend to continue. They think that big new housing developments will decline and there will be a bigger focus on smaller home communities.
An East coast builder talks about building only what is needed. “While climate and energy should be the first consideration number two would be to leave out closets… You can’t buy more stuff when you have nowhere to put it.”
When I heard ‘leave out closets’ it made me laugh… it will take a long time for people to embrace that concept… but I have long thought “you fill the space you have.” Think how much easier it would be to downsize if we didn’t have houses filled with stuff.
Automated living
Technology and smart-home elements are already everywhere in homes and this will only increase. Builders will need to stay on the bleeding edge of technology so homes don’t become outdated before they are fully lived in.
At one with nature
As homes become more high tech, many builders predict there will be a parallel push to bring homes back to nature. More organic shapes and details are taking the place of neat, clean, modern lines and details… more curves and arches, with more integration of the outdoors and natural elements and incorporating passive solar technology, green roofs and rain gardens.
Healthier homes
I remember when we renovated our current home nearly 25 years ago, we invested a lot into finding natural materials (not so easy back then!) and adding outside air circulation to keep the air fresh.
“Most of us spend about half of our lives in our homes, surrounded by chemicals and toxins embedded in almost every surface that are easily released into the air by time, decay, damage, or moisture.”
They predict that many unwanted materials will have been eliminated in 20 years and replaced with alternative solutions such as polished concrete ceilings, encapsulated insulation, and ductless air conditioning systems. This desire will become increasingly pressing as the realities of climate change set in and we need to make purposeful and responsible decisions for the health and wellbeing of ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Connected to community and intergenerational living
Many builders predict a shift to recognizing that healthy community connections are important to individual healthy living. They predict that homes of the future will have a focus on community-driven planning… creating open and connected communities, including an increase in ADUs and intergenerational living.
Energy independent and sustainably affordable
As communities around the globe continue to experience the effects of climate change, homebuilders predict that tomorrow’s homes need to be more efficient in how they use energy, both in construction and operation. Unfortunately, today these technologies tend to be pricey… but hopefully that will change over the next two decades.
“I’m hopeful that renewable technologies such as solar, wind, and geothermal will become more efficient and cost effective… even more, I hope that they will be the default standard for housing infrastructure, fully integrated into the design and development of not only the home itself, but the planning of the community in which it sits.”
Built to last
The house in the photo above was built in 1907 and completely renovated to produce more energy than it uses more than 100 years later. A current homebuilder said, “I am most hopeful that there will be a continued appreciation for quality construction and design with a focus on sustainability and efficiency. A well-built house can last for decades, and the most responsible thing we can do for the environment is to keep substandard construction out of landfills.”
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
RELATED POSTS
