With more people seeking a healthier lifestyle through veganism and mindfulness; everyone seems to be seeking the best way to live! However, balance this with the increase in technology, people becoming more online and working remotely, in my opinion we as a society are actually becoming more “offline”. In terms of people having less social interaction, living in an Instagram bubble and feeling lonely! Everyone is showing that they are living the perfect life, but I am not convinced! With people hiding behind social media, working at home, an increased population and the crisis of the climate, this leads to design professionals wondering where is the home heading?!

Cathrin Walczyk, a speaker at the talk discussed how despite all these changes in the way we live, “the way we design floor plans within a home is still very much like the 1950’s!” To balance this, you have the dangers of society entering the extreme of virtual living, “before we know it we will no longer own physical art and we will move into a space, press a button and our art will be projected onto the wall!”

Cathrin also touched on those living on demand and moving around, which questions “where is your sense of belonging?” and in my opinion you are then faced with questioning your sense of community and the further development of living offline! It was argued that the “ME has to become WE”, but in a culture very much stemmed around privacy in the home, how do you encourage these communities?

As public areas are also showing signs of mixed use with the hotel as a restaurant or the cafe as your office, this trend is creeping into homes as the new idea of co-living. A concept very like air b and b, aimed at young professionals people have access to a bedroom and bathroom on a short contract, with a communal kitchen, gym and event space! The key argument here was “Is this too like a hotel?” or “how did this leave relationships of people living there?”

Home shapes interaction and it is where you can truly be yourself so in summary we leave you to think about the following:

1. Where else is technology going to infiltrate the home and therefore our behaviour at home?

2. Can WE really move on from the traditional home?

3. Will ME ever become WE?