Intelligent living

Projects portraying modern technology and designs used to produce houses of the future are on display at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw. "Open House - Architecture and Technology for Intelligent Living" comprises projects in a range of media, from small models to fully realized large installations. The exhibition offers not only an artistic vision of the future, but also cohesive, real-life solutions that could be implemented within the next 20 years.

A workable idea

Projects developed for the exhibition are joint efforts by architects and designers, and they bring a fresh perspective to the idea of the house of the future by moving away from an isolated, technologically oriented viewpoint. They offer a comprehensive approach to the domestic future and focus on human-centered needs, such as connectivity, well-being, flexibility and sustainability.

Despite being shown at an art center, the projects present new models for public and private space as well as real living solutions for changing life-styles.

"There is certainly a chance that some of these projects will be realized. Even within 10-20 years, construction of buildings like these could be possible. The possibility of realizing these projects was one of the criteria for the exhibition," said Justyna Wesołowska, a curator of the exhibition.

Ecological focus

Since another important criteria for the projects was that they respond to the needs of society and the environment, many of them focus on ecology. Designers took a different approach to their work depending on the continent and developed solutions for environmental needs in various places.

"The projects meet the specific needs of the local environment and people," said Wesołowska. She explained that the exhibition comprises examples of building solutions for different parts of the world, from houses that could function in a desert to compact apartments for Koreans who see their society turning into a population of singles. She also pointed to a project called the Jellyfish House, which may soon be built in San Francisco on a contaminated island. It would take on the attributes of its environment, and filter and clean the area.

Issues of aesthetics

Wesołowska wonders, though, whether future houses like those displayed at CSW would appeal aesthetically to people today. "[I'm not sure] if modern technology goes along with the sense of aesthetics. Personally I think that the sense of classical beauty has been minimalized [in these projects], but the viewers don't seem to mind."

However, even if few of the projects could be realized in the near future, at least some of the design elements they present could be implemented in architecture sooner. "It's absolutely possible," said Wesołowska, adding that there has been notable interest in the exhibition from Polish architects.

Anna Kapica-Harward