Apr 17 2007
The role of the construction industry is to build for the future, as well as the present, but the professionals involved are often short of reliable data about how emerging generations might live. The RIBA’s think tank, Building Futures, is holding a fast-paced day of ideas and interaction to combine the collective knowledge of the construction industries with futurologists in order to establish and invigorate new collaborations between them.
The Futures Fair event, supported by the DTI’s Foresight programme, will investigate the role of architecture over coming years and match the skills of architects, designers and construction professionals, with the predictions of sociologists, economists, technologists, and other thinkers.
Challenging presentations will be given by speakers representing the UK’s leading architectural practices, property companies, construction specialists, planners and government. Highlights include a keynote speech by Yvette Cooper MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning; and a landmark talk by internationally-regarded innovations specialist, David Bodanis. Themes including sustainability, regeneration, technology, infrastructure, materials and workplace will be explored through a series of presentations.
Interaction between attendees will be the focus of the day; which will stimulate debate through group discussions, SMS messaging and electronic message boards; and a ‘speed-date’ event to spark future collaborations.
Speaking about the Futures Fair, Dickon Robinson, Chair of Building Futures, said:
“The buildings being designed today will be the infrastructure of tomorrow, but it is not the role of the construction industry to predict how society might be functioning in 20 or 30 years. Society is changing radically almost on a decade-by-decade basis. This is why it makes sense to bring a wide range of specialists together, to give construction professionals the best chance of delivering buildings and spaces that will remain useful and effective over a long period of time. We want our new buildings to be ‘future-proofed’.”