By Jennifer Thiele Busch

Interior designers and architects are no more possessed of powers to read the future than the Wall Street whizzes who invested heavily in the sub-prime mortgage industry and are now paying dearly for their lack of foresight. But when you get a group of influential practitioners from all geographies, specialties, and perspectives to agree on some key predictions about the future of the industry—or what they hope it will be—the chances of affecting that future are all the greater.

Contract asked members of its editorial advisory board to weigh in independently on the future of the profession, and the responses revealed some common thinking—dare we say trends—about where commercial interior design and architecture are headed in the next 10 years. Participants included: Kelly Bauer, principal, richärd+bauer, Phoenix; Robert Brown, principal, CBT, Boston; Shashi Caan, principal, The Shashi Caan Collective, New York; Joseph Connell, senior associate, director, The Environments Group, Chicago; Dina Frank, president, Mancini•Duffy, New York; Neil Frankel, principal, Frankel + Coleman, Chicago; Douglas Wittnebel, principal, Gensler, San Ramon, Calif.; Joe Rondinelli, design director, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson Abbott, Boston; Arturo Febry, principal, IA/Interior Architects, Chicago; Richard Pollack, POLLACK, San Francisco; Guy Geier, FXFOWLE ARCHITECTS, New York.

1. Sustainability will be inherent in every project, and the focus will shift to a broader definition of "Social Responsibility"

Wittnebel: Most, if not all, planned and constructed projects will be ecologically fingerprinted (like a new identification and approval system for appropriating energy and materials for design and construction). Most, if not all, communication between individuals and groups will be virtual, depending less on travel and energy use and more on efficient information transfer and understanding…We must recognize that there are limits to all forms of energy and materials, and it will take innovation to look for new ways to provide habitable spaces and environments for the human race.

Pollack: In 10 years I hope to see our profession leading the sustainable movement, with a very different approach than how many LEED points we can score on projects. We know that buildings are the primary energy users in our country, consuming 25 to 40 percent of the power. Therefore, we can make a significant contribution to conservation.

Febry: We will be "design businesses,"designing nothing but sustainable projects.

Frank: There will be increased sensitivity by the general public and our clients that we must strive to decrease our carbon footprint. There is too much focus on LEED and not enough on plain old responsible design and responsible clients.

Rondinelli: Sustainability will be well woven into the building process, eliminating a stand-alone rating system such as LEED.

Caan: Today's "hot"environmental issue will be absorbed by the greater social responsibility that everyone is just waking up to.

2. Design will respond to a scarcity of water

Caan: Water will be one of our major concerns, and we will be exploring alternative water resources. This will result in cultural shifts pertaining to social activities and relaxation—beverages will be at an absolute premium and spas will offer image and light-based treatments that will supersede all water-based therapies. A luxurious soak in the essential oil and rose petal strewn tub will become true luxury affordable by the elite.

Wittnebel: The limitations of oil as currently recognized will, in 10 years be a recognition that the true scarcity is potable water. And all design and construction projects will be based on comprehending the limits and systems of all the water resources and usage.

3. Continued globalization, which will spark a renewed interest in regionalism

Wittnebel: The relatively current phrase "the world is flat"will finally be jettisoned in favor of the fact that the world is a sphere. Columbus was correct. What goes around comes around. And all design approaches will have to understand that systems revolve around and within the sphere and that interactions on the sphere are not just limited to a flattening of world cultures and information, but rather a much more robust and resonant allowance for different ways of doing, thinking, creating.

Brown: We will all be collaborating as larger more divergent teams serving our clients. We will be having consultants from all over the world working on our projects.

Unknown: The global market is here to stay, and we can expect it to even be more a part of our practice in 10 years.

Connell: Celebrate regionalism. Enough of the "Wal-Mart Effect"of firms and by firms.

4. A return to craft

Bauer: My clients are starving for craft again…where is the master builder? Is it possible for the artisan to complete an important integrated piece without bureaucracy dictating its outcome? Will craft come back as an expectation to the various trades? Or will it continue to leap into a high premium appreciated by many but afforded by few?

Connell: I'd like to see a return to "honesty of materials," once a hallmark of modern, purposeful design. Enough of fake materials; give me substance over glamour.

5. Technology will continue to influence design process and trends

Caan: Digital technology will be truly pervasive. We will have global connectivity literally everywhere and probably without charge. This will allow for all spaces to be wirelessly connected and release the need for product to be tethered to floors and walls. The design process will fully incorporate technology… the computer will be the primary tool used for all phases of design.  

The biggest changes in our industry will be driven by the integration of technology into all of our processes from design through manufacturing and construction. Although CAD has revolutionized the design and drawing production, the result is still a "dumb"drawing that the manufacturer or builder must convert into shop drawings and construction in the field. Building Information Modeling (BIM), however, has the potential to revolutionize the process. As we design, the "smart" BIM databases will have attributes assigned to every element of the project including cost, availability, sustainability, and quantities. Projects will have the potential to be rapidly prototyped and coordination of all trades and disciplines will be expedited. Orders to manufacturers, fabricators, and suppliers could be processed directly from the architect's and designer's drawings. Design, fabrication, and construction time frame will be significantly shortened and the quality of the built project will be improved dramatically. Architects and interior designers must embrace this new technology and leverage it to re-establish our leadership position in the industry.   

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