ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
Pinghu Hub by Ronald Lu & Partners
2023 ARCHITECTURAL TRENDS
SUGGESTED BY RONALD LU & PARTNERS
Looking ahead to 2023 , Ronald Lu & Partners , the awardwinning architecture practice known for its human-centric approach and future-ready designs , shares its predictions for what will shape the design and architecture industry over the next year . What is clear is that architects will need to react to the huge societal shifts witnessed over the last few years , from experimentation in the virtual realm to the changing nature of work as brought about by the pandemic . This is a critical time in the journey to curtail global temperature increases and a continued focus will be the need to design with a focus on carbon reduction using enhanced technologies , specifying green materials and recycling waste . In addition , continued population growth and migration is putting many densely populated cities under strain especially since most modern cities have not been designed in a space-efficient way . A population that is living longer will also demand more healthcare services as well as age-friendly spaces and buildings .
COMBATING THE CHALLENGES OF A ‘ DOUBLE AGING ’ CITY
The ‘ double aging ’ phenomenon refers to the aging of the world population alongside the simultaneous aging of urban buildings , and will be one of the defining trends of the coming decades . This is an issue already keenly felt in Hong Kong , which is forecast by the World Health Organisation to rank fifth in the world for cities with the largest percentage of older adults by 2050 . As well as creating challenges , ‘ double aging ’ opens up new opportunities for designing liveable cities that improve the health and wellness of the population . Architects must think of new ways to create cities that benefit communities , integrating healthcare facilities , designing for limited mobility and enhancing connectivity where possible . The ‘ vertical urbanism ’ model can help to address these issues , offering the potential for greater social cohesion by bringing people closer together physically and shaping better public spaces .
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