A study has been carried out to investigate what the environmentally friendly homes of the future could look like.
Compare the Market teamed up with Chris Lawson – the owner of architecture firm CK Architectural. Lawson used his expertise to predict the trends and materials in future home construction.
This information was fed into an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, which then produced images of the predicted homes of the future, with the environmentally friendly focus of them being adaptable and durable.
The homes of the future – how the UK might look in 2050
As Compare the Market is UK-based company, there was naturally a focus on more local cities, and the AI tool produced images of homes in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Belfast.
AI predicts that the Belfast home of the future (pictured above left) will employ metal cladding in its design as a protection from the harsh Irish weather. Meanwhile, the Cardiff home (pictured above right) will make use of solar panels and wind turbines.
The London home is predicted to be made with fast-growing timber in a move away from using old trees. Both the Edinburgh and Manchester homes will make heavy use of solar panels which can work even in the absence of direct sunlight.
Different homes for different environments – the international homes of the future
The AI tool also made predictions for homes in five international cities, namely New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Toronto, and Dubai.
The New York home (pictured above left) focuses heavily on solar power, with its large windows and curved roof maximising the sunlight that reaches its panels. Lawson explains that its sail-like shape could “rotate to capture sunlight, and also reflect said light to other panels”.
AI also considered the traditional architecture of the Amsterdam home (pictured above right) while also incorporating flowerbeds, the soil of which could mitigate potential flood damage by absorbing water.
The design for the Paris home of the future includes high-rise buildings with living walls for urban biodiversity, while the Toronto home uses carbon blocks and the Dubai home, perhaps unsurprisingly, employs solar panels.
Sustainability at home – how to make your house green
These homes are, of course, the futuristic dream of an insentient machine, but the study suggests that retrofitting your home is key to reducing carbon emissions.
Compare the Market and Lawson recommend investing in solar panels, a heat pump, and water-saving taps. Other suggestions include insulating your home and installing a green roof which benefits wildlife and also protects against flooding.
Access the full study here.