DESIGN FORECAST 2023
10 META TRENDS SET TO TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF CITIES Mobility, multifamily, and multipurpose—will be common and key drivers of design across many practice areas, according to Gensler’s Design Forecast 2023, based on the international firm’s work in more than 80 countries. he abiding premise of this 189-page report, published by Gensler Research Institute, is that the world is changing radically, and design must respond accordingly with bold new ideas if it’s to impact this transformation of buildings and cities. “Crisis and change have taught us a new way to approach design at Gensler,” write the firm’s co-CEOs Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen. “It is an ongoing process, where research leads to experimentation and new ideas, which, in turn, lead to further investigations, discoveries, and motivations.”
T
The forecast identifies 10 megatrends—culled from the firm’s 29 practice areas—that Gensler believes will transform the future of cities:
1 - Willis Tower Repositioning, Chicago
28
01 RECLAIMING EXPERIENCE TREND The absence of experience faced during the pandemic continues to remind people of how valuable human interaction is and how critical our spaces are when it comes to enriching our lives. STRATEGY By prioritising design strategies
that emphasise people’s needs and expectations, we can reclaim the human experience in the places where we live, work and play. 02 LIFE-WORK CONNECTION TREND The future of cities is being defined by their ability to reenergise the connection between life and work. STRATEGY The future’s most vibrant cities will be those that use design to successfully address the interconnected life-work issues of thriving workplaces, attainable housing, and safe and accessible transportation. 03 BUILDING TRANSFORMATION TREND Stranded assets are creating development opportunities that can regenerate cities and transform outdated office buildings into thriving residential living. STRATEGY As real estate worldwide ages, building owners and developers are leveraging adaptive reuse strategies — specifically office-to-residential conversion — to transform stranded assets and create vibrant life-work districts and high-value properties. 04 ATTAINABLE HOUSING TREND Rising interest rates and inflation are creating a larger opening for multifamily development that could finally address the global shortage of attainable housing. STRATEGY As urban communities and central business districts are redesigned, attainable housing becomes a key feature of the type of life-work, mixed-use neighbourhoods that will redefine the future of cities. 05 DECARBONISATION TREND The decarbonisation of the built environment continues to be the imperative of our time.
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 2023