Industrial designer and trend forecaster, Isti Dhaniswari, pinpoints the ways our lives have transformed due to the global pandemic and the insightful ways architects and designers are responding to make our lives more comfortable as we move towards an uncertain future.
WRITTEN BY Isti Dhaniswari
PHOTOS BY Various Sources
As the world transitions from pandemic to endemic the first assumption to address is that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is not akin to an “after war” scenario. We are not in a “brave new world”. Life has changed and it is shifting to virtual. Technological singularity has accelerated. Some trend forecasting ideas and keywords previously predicted to become mainstream in five-to-ten years time are already underway.
The issue of mental health escalated as the world experienced a collective sense of grief. Grief specialist David Kessler interviewed in Harvard Business Review labeled it “anticipatory grief” which is “the loss of normalcy, the fear of economic toll, and the loss of connection”.
Polarisation grew as the gap between the rich and poor widened. In the United States, according to Business Insider billionaires became 44% richer as more than 80 million people lost their jobs. These factors point to rumours of a “Roaring 2020s” era, like that of a century ago. Certainly, after continuous lockdowns, social-distancing and virtual meetings saw our formal work attire discarded in favour of loungewear, wouldn’t we all like to dream of glamorous parties and 1920s fashion with pearls and sequins?
There are similarities. The 1920s followed the Influenza or Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, which was often used as a comparison to Covid-19. It was also the time of mobility revolution, as Henry Ford’s production line made cars affordable. Today, we see another significant shift in mobility with the rise of electric vehicles replacing fossil fuel combustion engines.
Words of caution come from Rich Karlgaard on Forbes.com: “The Roaring 1920s had not one, but two awful stock crashes and depressions. The one many people forget occurred in 1921; it almost derailed the decade. Also prosperity was very uneven in the 1920s. Cities boomed. Rural areas much less. Don’t expect the 2020s to be all good news. But it will be thrilling.”
Another somber prediction, of a “long and ugly recession” to commence at the end of 2022, from economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed “Dr. Doom” for his correct fortelling of the financial crisis in 2008.
So, despite the return of travel for summer 2022, as economy class tickets approach business class prices; are we more likely to bypass the party and crash into a depression? This is where trend forecasting as a navigation tool offers some insights for the future.
1. HOUSSPITAL
The pandemic made us aware of cleanliness, quarantine possibilities, and the home as a place of healing. Easy to clean rooms, places to wash hands, natural light and good ventilation are important considerations to turn the home into a personal sanatorium, or a combination between house and hospital: the housspital.
Architects during the 1920s designed health-concious houses. For example, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, where a washbasin was installed in a hallway for a germaphobe client, and the Lovell Health House by Richard Neutra. Both feature an industrial style with minimalist details. Furniture and decoration for the housspital has a sterile appearance with lightweight furniture, to ease cleaning and enable multifunctional spaces.
A pleasing and beautiful 21st century version could be the IH Residence by Indonesian Architect Andra Matin. Marked by a sensational concrete roof that looks like an umberella over a glass structure, the home lets light into the rooms but provides enough shade from the midday sun. There is enough space to breathe as well, with the concept of multifunctionality throughout the interiors. Wooden materials inside contrasts against the concrete and glass exterior bringing an atmosphere of cosyness necessary for a healthier life.
2. SMART WELLNESS
The idea to integrate wellbeing into private residences was happening long before the pandemic. Smart home systems are getting smarter as is technology for health and fitness. Better broadband access means many people felt comfortable being at home and smaller families mean households can dedicate more resources towards wellness.
Facing global inflation and recession, this habit will continue, as people limit spending outside the home, while the desire to switch off and escape reality will also be needed. Making our homes a place of serenity will be essential for mental health.
In interior design, family wellness can be a reason to gather. Aromatherapy steam baths or sauna cabins, bathtubs with a whirlpool function, natural stones flooring combined with warm natural colors that entice relaxation. For small spaces massage tools, aromatherapy systems or meditation corners can provide a sense of tranquility and inner happiness.
Physical fitness could also be integrated into a family wellness home. Those deciding to reduce the cost of gym memberships, can access online classes or use small scale equipment like steppers or elliptical trainers.
A great concept by Tempo Studio, together with Microsoft Azure Kinect DK, uses 3D sensors and AI to help trainers virtually refine their movements in live or “on demand” classes. The system comes in the form of a small cabinet with a 42 inch vertical HD touch-screen that streams 4K / Ultra HD video. There is a wide range of styles on offer: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, cardio, and yoga. The cabinet functions as equipment storage: barbells, ballast plates, foam roller, heart rate monitor band, and yoga mat are all included in the starter-kit.
3. SMART PODS
As work from home proliferated in 2020 so did video-conference facilities, dominated by Zoom. This new habit created many pros and cons, and no doubt triggered “The Great Resignation” where approximately 4.5 million American workers resigned from their jobs. UC Berkeley Economics Professor, Ulrike Malmendier suggested most of those resigning in the 30-40-year age group suddenly saw better opportunities for their career. Remote working made it harder to train younger employees, so demand for those with experience grew.
To create a home office, one factor is very important to maintain concentration and high performance: privacy. For those without a spare room to be used exclusively for a home office, “cool cocooning” brings comfort with curved, soft-cushioned furniture, and a sense of privacy in wrap-around forms, making it easier to concentrate.
Some turn to the the soothing greenspace of a garden by building a shed or reusing their abandoned tree house. A well-designed, movable pod such as NV-1 Pods is one example that brings the office into the garden, with its clinical-clean lines and doors which shut out the noise of neighbourhood. It’s both efficient and comfortable for the person who works inside it.
4. NATURAL BEAUTY
Lockdowns heightened our appreciation of nature. Biophilic design, which reconnects people with their intuitive relation to nature, can increase our happiness and peace of mind, lowering stress; important considering the current mental-health crisis.
Some principles to follow here include natural materials like wood, bamboo, rattan, stone and earthenware, as a new symbol of luxury. Skillfully made handicrafts merge with fine design to rejuvenate our daily life of virtual reality, which is filled with plastics.
Organic vegan leather and composites derived from mushroom, scoby or pineapple will continuously influence our fashion world, and our living spaces. This will upgrade the value of our design as it will bring a better mindfulness towards our planet.
Japandi style – blending Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian naturalism – will be a perfect base to apply the rebirth of biophilic design ideas with harmonious spaces that extend into nature. Natural finishes like oiled woods, ceramic lamps with textile caps, sofas covered in wool, placed in a monochromatic room with minimal accents, and indoor plants, in balanced proportion, will bring back harmony into our daily life.
5. OFFGRID SOCIETY
The Doomsday Prepper community regained popularity during the pandemic. While some might hoard canned food, weapons or build a makeshift bunker, the ultra-rich bought luxurious real estate and island homes complete with generators, solar panels, and weaponry.
The idea is not new. People have been making anti-nuclear bunkers with independent energy sources since the beginning of the Cold War. Survivalism is evolving as economic crisis and peace instability occurs throughout the world.
Energy self-sufficiency is the most important part of this ideal, stimulating a wide range of projects that think through independency from the existing infrastructures. Learning from “offgrid people” like those documented by Eric Valli in his 2011 book Recontres hors du temps pairs well with sustainability.
LifeEdited, an architecture and design firm which champions “doing more with less” offers a beautiful example of an off-grid home with modern comforts. Maui House in Hawaii is equipped with solar panels and rainwater collection system, groundwater is saved, and the house produces more energy than it needs.
Another spectacular idea is Wayaland from Architect Pierpaolo Lazzarini, a floating city built in pyramid shaped modules that can be attached together. Equipped with solar panels and water turbines as independent energy sources, this is a self-sustaining offshore city complete with contemporary facilities including hotels, a spa and fitness centre, bars and movie theatres.
6. SENSE SENSATION
Market demands for “touch and feel” make surface textures a sexy element in design. Walls covered with textured panels, embroidered textile wallpapers or textured papers invite a healthy haptic experience.
Distinctive natural fibres such as linen, wool, even tree bark, will underline the importance of a sense of touch in design concepts. Bringing back the feel of nature will also increase the happiness factor in the room.
The trend direction points toward textures in furniture as well. Waking up our senses that felt numb after restrictions and lockdowns, woven products will be a welcoming element in every room. From bamboo bedheads to modern rattan furniture inspired by the 1970s. Rattan or bamboo woven into sculptural forms elevate the exclusivity and class of the design.
This in turn creates a luxury, because it is a result of high craftmanship and a mature design process. Spectacular woven lamps from natural materials will be a long-lasting trend that will gain more popularity in coming years. Alongside traditional handicrafts, modern technology will bring a new joy to tactile sensations. Using natural materials combined with 3D printing and the precision of laser cutting when applied to woven textures and carvings have the potential to be elevated to a new level of creativity that enriches our need to touch.
7. MICROADVENTURE
Travelling around the world is a dream of many but not always realistic in terms of time and budget.
Alastair Humphreys, world traveler and adventurer, offers the “microadventure”. His idea encourages people who work eight hours a day to use the remaining 16 hours to search for an adventure in an unconventional way. He calls it: “A refresh button for a busy life”.
Microadventure is a short, simple, local, and cheap activity that is enjoyable. It provides a challenge but leaves you refreshed and happy like a break in routine. Some suggestions are sleeping in your backyard, swimming in a river, sea or lake, cooking or making tea from a self-made stove, bird watching and picking fruit.
Humphreys provides a guide to affordable equipment for microadventures – sleeping bag, sleeping mat, bivvy bag, wool hat, water resistant clothing, torch, and many more. Creativity to design such products, gadgets and technical clothing is limitless and the market is growing.
8. SUSTAINABLE BOURGEOIS
The embodyment of the Roaring 2020s reinterpreted into the angst of an impending global depression. It is understandable to want an escape into the glittering world of the “The Great Gatsby” after two years at home on video conferences where we were only visible from waist to head. We want to get dressed up, show our legs again, go out partying wearing our best jewellery styled from top to toe.
However, we seem to be heading directly into the era of inflation without the economic-boom that drove the 1920s. Despite the media-predicted “Roaring 2020s”, we face the challenges of war and famine in some parts of the world which impact other countries, and with the extreme economic gap: the fall of middle class. Though the hope of better times is still clenched our minds, design offers a way to stay positive and healthy during this time of confusion. Materials associated with the domains of richer times are returning in many forms.
Fashion designers will be familiar with bouclé. Popularised by Chanel through the classic box-jacket suits, it symbolised an ever-lasting wealth. Besides fashion, bouclé could be used in interior design. Made with cotton and in a special webbing, it’s a long lasting and durabile fabric ideal for upholstery, pillowcases or curtains. Bringing instant comfort and luxury into the room.
Corduroy is also making a come back. With a long history dating back to Ancient Egypt it became the fabric of the anti-establishment movement during the 1970s. Now corduroy that feels soft to touch, almost like suede, with signature vertical “cords” textures, will befit more dynamic settings.
Alongside fabrics, colour statements to accentuate the room, may offer a symbol of hope or to self-motivate. One piece of furniture in vibrant colour as an accent in a monochromatic setting will lend a sense of glam and drama into the room. Accents could also come in a form of a vase or other decorative elements. A “statement vase” for example in an oversized geometric design, made with 3D printers or by a master ceramicist could spectacularly change the mood of an interior.
Notably, this new bourgeois wave is marked by a smarter, sustainable approach. In the coming decades, upcycling efforts and reparation will play a significant factor in home accessories to personalise spaces. Materials that use less energy to manufacture and generate minimal waste will be a big selling point. Repurposing waste from wood, rattan and other waste from furniture industry will be a very important part of the design process.
9. FOOD INDEPENDENCY
The United Nations predict that in 2050, the world population will reach 10 billion, and two thirds of the population will live in cities. At the same time, fertile area per capita will be sinking by 20% as the result of climate change and continuous erosions.
We are seeing the rise of the vegan market because meat consumption results in farming process which is damaging to the planet. Investors are keen to invest in plant-based food factories. Richard Branson is investing in a start-up, Memphis Meats, that produces lab-grown meat, and he proposes that in 30 years, people would be shocked at the way we kill animals just for meat.
Back to today, vegan meat is getting tastier and according to Allied Market Research, the vegan food market in the United States is expected to reach $36.3 billion by 2030. We need to expand plantations and change farming practices to feed the world.
A vertical farm takes only a fraction of the space traditional farming needs to grow the same amount of food. It is ideal for urban areas because it reduces carbon footprints, food waste, and transport costs. We could even start to replant forests going forward for animal preservation.
One of the most innovative vertical farms is Aerofarms. Aeroponic technology provides optimal conditions to farm resulting in a high-quality harvest. The roots are hanging freely, irrigated with a high nutrient mist. Therefore, unlike a conventional hydroponic farm, the roots have better access to oxygen absorption, which makes the plants healthier and faster to grow.
Learning from the pandemic and the current Ukrainian war in which food supply chains broke down, food independancy could begin on a wider domestic scale. Families could plant food in backyards or apartment dwellers could create a “food farm panel” in their living room, aided by gadgets that could be controlled with smart home systems.
10. CULTURAL ECONOMY
We define culture as a part of our identity, and usually it refers to the old habit and customs associated with our family, ancestors, language and even race. Culture is dynamic. It grows, changing and evolving organically. And it is an emerging niche market.
For example, the purchasing power of the Latinx population is expected to top $1.9 trillion by 2023. This figure is higher than the gross domestic product of countries such as Australia, Spain and Mexico according to marketing research firm Nielsen.
A recent trend forcasting book featured a mood board titled Permute. This word is derived from the latin words per (meaning whole) and mutare (meaning changing). The words combined refer to an interchange. Permute was chosen to describe works that inspired products of acculturation. In contemporary design, it appears in fine handwoven fabrics, macrame, ropes, baskets, decorations, furnitures and architectures that remind people to their roots and tradition, though in modern context.
Vernacular styles which reference cultural characteristics adapted into design process have a wide range of production techniques, from purely traditional to machinal technology. Representing cultural characteristics has personal resonance for the beholder, and also a marvellous story behind it.