Smart structures

There are some architects who theorize that intuitive, adaptable buildings are in our future. These structures might be made of components that adjust to certain variables: a particularly rainy evening, a raucous Super Bowl party on the third floor, or a brutally cold December day. Says German architect Axel Ritter:

Buildings of the future will be able to change colour, size, shape and opacity in reaction to stimuli. Architects will be able to design buildings that change their geometry according to the weight of the people inside.

The use of these reactive materials would alter the relationship between architecture and building behavior. If you’re lucky, it might also improve your apartment’s laughable square footage.

• architecture
• smart materials