IDEAS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE

Architects imagine and create lasting structures, shaping habitats and environments. The field of architecture is constantly evolving, and this is particularly the case as technology advances. Of course, navigating these changes has proven challenging for the profession.

One of the most pivotal advancements for architecture of the last century has been computer-aided design, AKA CAD. Pierre Bézier, a French engineer working at Renault developed the mathematical principles behind CAD in the 1960s, enabling 2D digital drawing and 3D modeling. It took two decades – until the 1980s – for these digital creation tools to reach mass adoption, but when they were finally embraced, a variety of career paths opened up for architects. It then became possible to use imagination and skill to not only design and shape physical surroundings but also virtual ones, for example in video games, and cinema.

Now comes the metaverse. Let’s forget about the buzzword and define the concept. The metaverse refers to the evolution of the web from a 2D interface to a 3D one, the immersive internet where we connect through a network of interoperable platforms and experiences. Leveraging XR technologies and 3D designs, we can create completely new worlds, and digital twins and simulations, and we can transform the way we build and interact with our physical environment. This evolution of the web has brought about a new tangent for architects and professionals experienced in these technologies – and it is just the beginning.

A recent Delphi study by the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies reached a consensus that the metaverse is already here, at least to some degree. “We are seeing fractions today of what will eventually become the metaverse, but it will still take some time for it to fully arrive.”

The advent of the metaverse is expected to be highly impactful on society by 2030, its influence on the profession of architecture is already unfolding. Architects are working alongside developers to design virtual experiences where we can enjoy music, arts, and fashion, virtually attend concerts, visit galleries, and shops with branded experiences aimed at Gen Alpha and future generations. There are AI-assisted augmented reality mirrors that interact with consumers in high-end retail stores. Physical objects such as handbags are linked to a digital twin with perks for collectors. Real estate digital twins facilitate off-plan sales, taking over the need for model homes.

Imagine you are investing in an apartment that’s under development. Now, thanks to the metaverse, you can experience the scale of the space through VR headsets – but not only that! You can also interact with your soon-to-be home, choosing the finishings, picking out flooring, bathroom fixtures, kitchen cabinets, essentially customizing your home in virtual reality before it is built. There are some studios that are paving the way in using virtual reality to challenge the boundaries of experience. Foster + Partners, for example, have warehouses dedicated to design reviews at a 1-to-1 scale using AR and VR with VR backpacks, holo lenses, and iPads to create virtually-enhanced walkthrough experiences of physical sites. This allows stakeholders to more accurately understand the spatial experience and how the building would fit within the city as part of the design and planning process.

The metaverse, in my opinion, has the potential to revolutionize the way we live, work, play, and express ourselves. Soon, our virtual and physical worlds will have merged in a way that allows us to freely navigate amongst them in our daily lives, particularly as AR and VR technologies become more accessible and affordable, and users become more comfortable and confident in living immersive digital experiences.

That’s essentially what the metaverse is all about: the seamless convergence of our physical and digital lives, bringing people, spaces, and things together in virtual or augmented digital worlds. It will be here sooner than we can even imagine.

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