Future Homes: The Homes of Today and Tomorrow. Colloquium at Roca Barcelona Gallery
Wherever there is talk of houses and the future, that's where we go.
Under the heading "Future Homes: The homes of today and tomorrow".On 15 February, as part of a series of meetings on the future of the home organised by Futurea and Roca, several experts met at the Roca Barcelona Gallery to discuss the evolution of home paradigms in response to cultural and socio-demographic transformations.
In an open dialogue format, these experts shared innovative perspectives on the homes of the future, exploring key concepts such as sustainability, smart technology and adaptability in design and construction.
Some of the questions that led to the colloquium were: What technological advances, cultural trends and demographic changes influence our living spaces?
How can current and emerging innovations make our homes more comfortable, efficient and connected, adapting to our changing needs?
How can we design homes that meet our current needs without losing sight of the enormous environmental challenges we face?
The challenge of answering these important questions was left in the hands of experts of the stature of Tachy Mora, Clara Vidal and Albano Moreno, moderated by Pepa Casado.
The speakers
Tachy Mora
Cultural journalist since 1998, specialising in design and its interaction with other disciplines. She alternates her work as a journalist and curator with brand consultancy, specialising in narrative and storytelling.
In 2011 he published the book Artesanía Española de Vanguardia (Lunwerg), which he later turned into an internationally touring exhibition. His latest exhibition, Scenarios for the Near Futureexplores the possible changes that housing and its equipment could undergo in the coming years.
Clara Vidal
Architect and co-founder of Some studyan architecture, interior design and urban planning studio created in Barcelona in 2014 (click on the link to read the interview we did with them at the end of 2020).
His main interest lies in redesigning how we live, with innovative designs designed to adapt to different lifestyles, such as the social housing in Illa Glòries in Barcelona, the 67-home building in El Masnou and private homes such as Ca l'Ocell.
Albano Moreno
Sales & Business Developer in Kave Home since 2018, where he leads an internal team divided between his head office, the physical shops, partners and external agents, working together with professionals from the sector, hotel chains, catering, Property Manager, etc. and leading the professional channel of Kave Home (Kave Pro) for these markets.
The colloquium
Housing flexibilisation after the pandemic
Tachy Mora opened the colloquium with the concept of "synchronisation" or the profound adaptation that has taken place at home since the pandemic. He also emphasised how the theoretical plane opened up the discourse by giving the public, the inhabitants, a rare occurrence.
>> [We recall this study that we carried out in the midst of the pandemic in collaboration with the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya How do you live your home in times of confinement?].
With the pandemic, people are realising that the household must gain flexibilityAnd this flexibility almost always affects the kitchen and the living room, but never the bedroom. Why? On the other hand, it raises the need to continue to "synchronise" the home to our needs beyond the pandemic, because it begs the question: "How is it possible for three adults to live together in a classic master bedroom with two small rooms?
Furniture must also adapt to change according to Albano Moreno of Kave Homes. "The pandemic was a turning point from which we started to look at our home with different eyes. At Kave Homes we don't like rigidity and we are looking for a multifunctional design: why can't a TV stand be in a room other than the living room?"
The kitchen: space or function?
Clara Vila of Cierto Estudio moves on from the bedroom and focuses on the kitchen and the living room. Big Bang Kitchen project where the kitchen is rethought as the axis around which the whole house pivots. According to Tachy Mora, "This project reflects very well the idea of nomadism within one's own home".
At this point of the colloquium, it is unavoidable to talk about Anna Puigjaner and her project Kitchenless (a flat without a kitchen) awarded the Wheelwright Prize by Harvard University, a thesis that advocates for the soup kitchens.
"Traditionally, the kitchen was a place of isolation, delegated to darkness, a server space. At Cierto Estudio the kitchen is reclaimed as a versatile space, suitable for multiple uses, and moves away from the concept of space to that of furniture. Fixed elements, tables on wheels or mobile storage modules are elements that in the kitchen respond to the needs of the two main and at the same time antagonistic users: the cook who turns the kitchen into the centre of the house (showcooking) and the one who simply heats up the food he receives from Glovo".
The question is put to the public about the possibility of housing without a kitchen and opinions differ... although there is some agreement in considering the kitchen less and less as a space and more and more as a function.
And at this point, an additional reflection: Everything points to the fact that in the near future, more than 40% of the population will be living in rented accommodation. If the kitchen is the room in the house that is most lived in and consumes most of the renovation budget, but at the same time it is an expense that once the rent is over, you cannot take with you... Who is going to invest in building a quality kitchen?
Shared housing
This project The Housing Community by Cierto Estudio won the first prize in the IMHAB (Institut Municipal de l'Habitatge i Rehabilitació de Barcelona) competition "Illa Glòries" for the construction of 60 social housing units in Plaza de las Glorias, Barcelona. The project's discourse reflects on transitions, the dialogue between the street (the public) and the private (housing).
"Housing design determines how we live. Having a space that is green, lit... and that encourages community building (especially important for seniors) adds up to a better lifestyle and that was very evident in the pandemic".
Sustainability. The planet as a home.
The exhibition Tachy Mora's interior design of the futureThe project has sustainability at its core, and this was worked on from multiple perspectives and under this premise: the design must be durable and modular.
The question How to design better so that objects last? opens a reflection in which Albano Moreno states "At Kave Homes we have been making sustainable furniture for over 40 years. We think it's a term that has been abused and that's why we prefer to talk about impact".
"Proper product stewardship, i.e. identifying and controlling the production chain as much as possible to ensure sustainability in manufacturing, is a very complex issue...".
Clara Vila agrees with this complexity. From an architectural and construction point of view, she says: "In recovery/rehabilitation actions at Cierto Estudio we try to make the most of the existing. When we design houses we look for the maximum adaptation of spaces to different uses and times; a choice of reusable materials (wood, metal) and not concrete and good insulation to reduce energy consumption to the maximum".
There is consensus that it is imperative that from all disciplines, we address the needs of new housing and synchronise them with the needs of society and the planet, the housing of all.
The Future Homes colloquium explored the evolution of the home in response to cultural and socio-demographic changes, with an emphasis on sustainability. The pandemic accelerated the need to make our homes more flexible; to have adaptable and multi-functional furniture, and there was talk of a future with homes without kitchens. Kitchen yes? Kitchen no?
In any case, sustainable homes must be designed to meet the changing needs of users and minimise environmental impact. For without a planet, there is no future.
