A deep dive into futuristic home designs

Like the thought of having your own robot that can unpack the dishwasher, pick up clothes from the floor or even pop your groceries in the pantry?

How about having a smaller, highly energy-efficient house that runs like its own power station, and has a QR code in the driveway for drone deliveries?

It may sound like fantasy, but forward-thinking experts say much of this technology is already being developed, and is likely to be commonplace in the next few decades.

From drone security to cars that come to you

Futurist Nikki Greenberg says while many things will stay the same about our homes, some elements, especially when it comes to technology, will fundamentally shift.

Along with robots to unpack the dishwasher, there will also be drone security robots that can circle your house.

Robotic construction, such as robotic bricklayers, or 3D printing will also become more commonplace, says Greenberg.

“[3D printing] has come a long way and there’s already big housing developments, especially in the US, that are using that technology.”

Walls will be able to turn translucent with the touch of a button, to control the amount of sunlight coming in for heating or cooling purposes, she says.

Another game changer might be the rise of autonomous electric cars, which can be shared, negating the need for your own car – or garage.

“If you have an autonomous car, it doesn’t need to park where you are,” she says.

“It can drop you off, and then it can go to a distant car park or somewhere else where it’s cheaper. And then when you need it, you call it up almost like a valet, to come back to you.”

Goodbye copper, hello flexible, printed circuits

Daniel Vasilevski, director and owner of Sydney’s Bright Force Electrical, says in coming decades, our homes will lean hard into energy independence.

“Imagine batteries tucked away in your garage, storing up sun power all day, then running your lights, air-conditioning, and even your electric car overnight,” he says.

“Homes won’t just sip from the grid. They’ll generate and manage their own juice, cutting bills and keeping the lights on during blackouts. It’s like every house turning into its own little power station.”

Vasilevski says wiring will also get a whole lot smarter, and “the old copper spaghetti” behind your walls will be a thing of the past.

He believes in 20 years, our homes will instead have thin, flexible circuits printed right into the plaster or beams.

“These won’t just carry power. They’ll talk to your appliances, track how much each one uses, and tweak things on the fly to save energy.”

Is that a garden wall or a flood barrier?

With climate change set to have more impact, Karl Mallon, chief executive of Climate Valuation, says clever technology will help to make homes of the future more resilient to factors such as floods, fires or extreme heat.

“In more sophisticated situations, you can get high-tech garden walls. They look like a garden wall, but they’re actually a flood barrier,” says Mallon.

He’s already seeing houses in the UK that are enveloped by a waterproof system.

“You don’t realise it, but the doors and windows are actually water resistant … so the house can sit in the middle of a flood and the water doesn’t get in.”

Homes set to shrink, but be better designed

Meanwhile, passive house and net-zero-building designer Michael Drage, who runs companies, including NetZero Plus and Efficient Habitat, says our homes will be smaller.

That’s because global resources will become scarcer, infrastructure won’t be able to keep up with new housing developments, and people will need to pay less for housing, he says.

Fortunately, smarter design will make better use of floor space, he says.

Prefabricated homes will be everywhere

“They’re a lot quicker to put together. A four-bedroom home can be at lock-up in a week, including all the windows.”

The precision element of prefabrication means that homes will be airtight, driving energy efficiency, says Drage.

He predicts there will also be plenty of innovation when it comes to building materials, which may involve organic matter such as mushrooms, or recycled plastic building frames rather than timber.

Health will also be a major focus, says Drage, with people increasingly wanting homes that provide a steady temperature and high-quality air.

Life cycle assessments, already becoming popular in Europe, will become more sought after here, he says.

“If we look at the life cycle of the build, of the building, how long is it going to last? How much carbon is being used to create all the assets that go in there?

“How much is being used over the life of the asset, and what happens when you dismantle it and recycle it?”