Industry experts share their insights on the homes of tomorrow, having to adapt design, architecture and interiors to keep up with the rapidly changing environment affected by the pandemic.
30 May 2021
Compiled by Vanitha Pavapathi
Our personal focus at the moment has been more towards gradually improving our home environment – which we believe many are doing the same – by adding a lot of home-produced artwork and plants, and relying more on natural ventilation rather than air-conditioning. The long-term goal is to achieve a more natural, sustainable environment to better physical and mental well-being.
The recent and drastic shift towards telecommuting has got people rethinking their living spaces, and workspace integration will be a key requirement in future homes, be it large, landed homes or tiny flats. But that’s not to say that the office space will totally disappear as it’s industry dependant and people will always want to be in the same physical space as one another.
“The concept of flexible spaces to accommodate various uses becomes increasingly appealing. There will also be a greater focus on self-contained neighbourhoods that allow residents to walk or cycle to work or run errands.”
As a developer of luxury residential projects and large-scale, mixed-use developments, we constantly push the envelope in terms of innovation, designing homes that are future-proof with a focus on “people centrism”.
We envision modern homes to be a harmonious blend of nature and architecture, offering more outdoor and wellness spaces with biophilic design that connect residents closer with nature, like our Martin Modern and Meyer Mansion projects that dedicate 80% of land area to landscaping and amenities.
Compact cities like Singapore have demonstrated that with urban planning, efficient infrastructure and public transportation, it can successfully manage rapid population growth while improving the liveability of people in the city. Mixed-use developments will grow in both its relevance and popularity, especially those that are located at key transportation nodes.
While remote working and e-commerce existed before COVID-19, the pandemic has effectively accelerated the adoption of such trends. Increasingly, we see buyers place greater emphasis on ensuring the property can cater to these lifestyle changes. We also see an uptake of duplexes, which could be turned into dual-key units for investment or optimal privacy within a multigenerational household.
See related GuocoLand story – Architect Yip Yuen Hong: Redefining luxury living with Midtown Modern
“New advances in neuroscience have shown that our habitat affects our health and targeted changes can influence our mood, behaviour and physiology.”
Today, design has moved beyond aesthetics to become a vital path to wellness. In this COVID-19 age where we’re spending more time at home, our health has become our most prized asset and the right design is crucial for our wellness. As the home takes on a more multifunctional role, homeowners are looking beyond the open-plan floor plans to more compartmentalised living. Think “genkan” style entries or mudrooms where the trappings of the outside world can be left and not brought in to contaminate the main part of the home; possibly including a basin to wash hands before entry.
Acoustics is another area of design that is now gaining a lot more interest as we need quiet areas for Zoom meetings, insulated from the noise of children or pets. Dining rooms had waned in popularity over the last few decades as people ate out more, ate in kitchens or on their laps in front of the TV. But during lockdown, many people rediscovered the joy of sitting together around a table, putting away smartphones and enjoying quality time with one another. There is even a new buzzword “tablescape” which refers to the art of laying and arranging a table with tablecloths, flowers, nice china, the works. I think this trend is one that will last.
This article first appeared in Lookbox Living issue 63
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