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A strange capsular object is appearing behind a window of a dark room.The capsule is an automatic car, that was just moments ago driving itself on computerized automated highway.The doors are opening and the car is docking-in to became a seamless part of the interior design of the building.A man steps in,while talking to the computer; “I’m home.”

This is a famous scene from the movie Minority Report. And it is also the most extreme example of  modular design. Modular design is not a new concept. From the beginning of industrial era modular systems has been used everywhere where customization was in need.Architecture is using modular concepts for more than a century.Using prefabricated metallic frames or even whole concrete block walls. Cars and computers are the most typical and also most advanced modular designs.Every car and every computer is a device build entirely of exchangeable and fully customisable separate modules. Since the beginning of the domestic computer era this approach expanded to ever increasing number of domestic appliances. So we are using the modular technology to build our technology, design and architecture, but we are not making them modular and inter-compatible themselves. Making them look anything, but “Minority Report” like.

Of course there are some attempts of  modular design existing already. Like iPod/iPhone, with its wide range of docks and compatible devices or the Modu cell phone concept.

A very nice functioning example of modular design is the Modu cell phone. Modu is a fully functional little cellphone/mediaplayer that can be slotted inside other devices in flash-card style.

http://www.modumobile.com/

All this concepts are limited to themselves. Using modular design to create a stand-alone devices or limiting the modularity to determined range of devices. I believe next decade will bring a boom in modular designs and will create  a need for standardization. As the software  industry  slowly moves from stand-alone devices to seamless cloud computing, the device design will have to keep on track.

Cloud Computing (Wikipedia)

Another well known example of modular design is the International Space Station

So the cloud of modular devices, will be a necessary secondary effect of the virtual software cloud. I think there is no doubt that such technology, will appear in the close future. And indeed it is appearing already. The advances in 3D printing of electronics, will also speed up the development of  customizable electronics modules. And once one of the standards hits the market hard, there will be nothing in the way to stop the real “Modular Revolution”.

After electronics you may expect the modularity to move to transportation, interior design, urban developments and so on.

As the standards will have to be widely accepted to achieve a wide range of compatibility between the devices and architectural solutions, I can see a trend in Open Source Technology. Build on a same collaborative principles as Open Source Software and using the industries existing expertize.

It is time to elevate our real world technologies to the standards of the information society.

The evident advantages of modular designs are in their practicality in our daily lives, but there will be some other side effects as well. Modular systems can be used to create a completely new form of transportation and construction services, with high levels of automation and less hard-physical labour involved. New forms of modular transport systems, could move goods around our towns without a need of  thousands of cars polluting our environment.

You would not need an extra charger for each of your devices, but instead you could build a low-voltage network inside your flat to safe the energy.

Modular design of furniture and interior design, will create  lasting values. As you can rebuild the modules in always new forms and concepts, people will be more likely to re-use or re-sell their old crap instead of throwing it away.

This is very important aspect of modular design:Re-usability.

Just imagine you could take appart all your interior design, furniture, domestic electronics etc., anytime you get bored of them.Build interiors according to your taste and need.(Picture above;Modular Kitchen by Fevzi Karaman.)

In similar manner as we are building children playgrounds today.

The possibilities are endless and the future will be modular. Without any doubt.

Even-thou you may think, that the modular tower on the picture above  is looking like from another planet, it is not the planet Venus which gave name to the Venus project. It is  actually Venus, Florida. A 21.5-acre research center from where the Venus Project NGO operates. I came across the “Future by Design” movie on YouTube a two weeks ago and I became fascinated. First I thought that Jacques Frescos work (American Futurologist,Philosopher and Architect Jacque Fresco is the Mastermind behind the whole project)  is just a futuristic  architectural and designer vision and somehow I lacked the political dimension of the whole endeavour, but the more I investigate the more I believe, that the Venus project has something to offer. Not only a viable scientific alternative to the outdated technological processes  used by most of the industry and society as whole today, but also an economical alternative to our chronically ill monetary economic system.

As soon as I found out, that the Venus project is also behind the popular “Zeitgeist” documentary, there was no doubt that Mr.Fresco does have a clear vision on “How to move from our collapsing monetary economy to his Utopian alternative”.

I also find out that there is a second part of the movie “Zeitgeist:Addendum”, which features some interviews with Fresco himself. You can find both of those movies in my documentary section.

Personally I find the political and sociological  dimension of the Venus Project a bit underestimated, (I am not satisfied with the claim that political leadership will be not necessary in resource-based, high-tech, cybernated and automated society) but I’m pretty  sure that there is a lot more happening behind the curtain, than you can learn from the official website.  And as the documentary started a whole movement already, there is a door open for further development of the general ideas of  resource-based economy proposed by the project. I am definitely sympathetic with the idea of all resources available for everybody, but it looks too much like communism for me.  And as I grew up in communist country I know that the corruption will always find its ways. In other words; We can be all equal, but some will be always more equal than the others. I think that the idea of completely getting rid of the monetary system is a bit obsolete and too much utopian, and that we shut better look for some transitional hybrid economy. Where Frescian resource-based cities and communities, still produce and trade with the outside “old” world on basis of  state controlled currencies. Some other forms of alternative currencies could be also developed on the way.

I am also not very sympathetic with Frescos vision of  religion.  If you embark on such a monumental journey as Jacque Fresco did with his Venus Project, you would be better off looking for allies  rather than for enemies. Even-thou I agree with the bottom-line and with the statement that religion is false, I can see no problem why should religious communities not prosper in Frescos futuristic cities.

Check the links on the bottom of this article and enter into the brave new world of Mr.Jacque Fresco, as he truly is a present day DaVinci.

http://www.thevenusproject.com

http://thezeitgeistmovement.com/DesigningtheFuture.pdf

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacque_Fresco

You can also check this Facebook groups devoted to Zeitgeist movement promotion:

THE ZEITGEIST MOVEMENT

ZEITGEIST-DOCUMENTARY OF LIFETIME

Utopia as far as the eye can see.

How is the architecture of the future going to look like? Are we going to build cities underwater like in the sci-fi TV series Seaquest, or we are going to completely destroy our natural environment like people of the future did in Ridley Scotts Blade Runner and Luc Bessons 5th Element. Maby (probably) we will finish with something like the futuristic world of the movie Minority Report, with gigantic vertical cities connected through a network of advanced transportation systems. Only the future will show! Here are some examples of future architecture that you can see around the world already today (or very soon). As I tend to think positive  I deliberately omitted those that would probably take us to the Blade Runner alternative.

Picture by Jacque Fresco

Green Towers

As our over-populated mega-cities grow to ever bigger scales, we need to look for viable solutions to bring mother nature back to our environment. One of the possible solution would be sustainable skyscrapers.Capable  to harvest water, heat, energy and agricultural products and creating a basis for new breed of society, less dependent on outsourced food production and  goods transportation. Some examples of such approach are already a reality:

Solair

Standing at 20 River Terrace in New York, these two buildings can hardly aspire to be called a skyscraper, with just 27 floors. But they could be called like that elsewhere. The building is consuming just half of drinkwater usualy consumed by a building of this scale and its cutting down 35 % from its energy consumption (65% in peak hours) . Both buildings feature a green roof planted using a special soil medium called “So-lite”. There are also some mirrors installed on top of the buidings to reflect the sunlight into the nearby park surrounded by tall buildings.

Vertical Farming

Vertical farms could be a solution to our ever greater demand for agricultural land and  create a pleasant oxigene rich atmosphere in our buildings.

Tour Vivante

This project of atelier SoA  is the best example of the Vertical Farm. Described as a “autonomous ecological machine” the tower will be able to produce great amounts of fruit, recycle waste-water and cover a part of electricity demand of the building by employing two wind turbines on the roof.

http://www.ateliersoa.fr/

Artificial Islands

Building artificial islands, like those in the city of Dubai may not sound like the best green idea, but in this particular case, there was no natural habitat destroyed. The Dubai desert continues underwater on the bottom of the sea. This kind of developments may protect the natural beaches elsewhere and it simply looks cool.

Underwater Cities

Yes,we are almost there. The first underwater hotel resorts are already in construction in Dubai, Turkey and offshore England. I wonder if  I will be ever able to afford them.

Poseidon Underwater Hotel

Hydropolis

Earthships

There have been a lot written about this organic structures made of recycled materials like cans, bottles and recycled tyres dumped with dirt.  Both  good and bad. Some may argue, that this is  not the best way to recycle the materials and that there are better and more environmentally friendly  building materials available on the market, but I still think that this may be a great environmentally friendly solution to deal with poverty and homelessness. From slams of Manila and Brazil to the gypsy-camps of Eastern Europe, this kind of  low cost architecture can be successfully deployed. There have been some reports of  people actually getting sick, due to the materials used on the construction, but I believe earthships are still way too much healthier and environmentally friendly  that the current alternatives on places I mentioned above.

Postmodernism

Such amazing  postmodern structures as Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao are completely transcending the mere functionality and creating a deep symbolism and sense of transformation and regeneration in our urban developments. I use to be a Guggenheim employee and I can assure you that you can hardly call it a green development, but there is no doubt about its positive influence on the economy and culture of the town and the entire region.

Floating Cities

This may be one of the constructions, that we will probably not see in our lifetimes. But they are looking just beautiful, doesn’t they? What a shame that we are spending our money to finance wars a manufacture weapons, rather that constructing places like this one.

lilypad floating city

Living Houses

Ok, once this thing gets on the market I’m going after it! What a wonderful sensation to live in the house, that actually breath and grows. This idea is just lovely. And it is so much better to let our homes to grow their own roots, instead of stuffing the ground with tons of concrete. My girlfriend would probably object, that she don’t want to live as a squirrel and there would be probably some insects problems in the house, but I would still love to own one of those.

Find out more about Fab Tree Hub on Inhabitat.com.Great Article and Video. Click

High in the Branches

These wonderful structures may be a way to coexist with natural habitats, rather than destroying them. I imagine whole cities build in that way; Reconstructing and regrowing post-industrial landscapes instead of attacking existing habitats. A new breed of human populated forests. A modern mans return to the tomb of mother nature. OMG, why do I have to wake up every morning in that square box I’m living in?

Solar Towers & Co.

Appart of a nice place to live we also need the energy to power up our consumerist way of life. This solar towers outside of the city of Sevilla in Spain are just looking so sci-fi fantastic. One tower is already standing and another six are to follow. This will make Sevilla the first city completely powered by green energy. I think I’m up for a trip very soon!

Outworlders

And finally; The final frontier. So this is what we are definitely not going to see in our lifetimes. Way too expensive for our greedy and blood thirsty species. Even-thou, maby there will appear some marvellous technology  in the near future, that will change everything. Never stop hoping.