Fluidity and Mobility; An Inherent Feature in Futuristic Architectural and Furniture Design
Perceiving futurism trend through the lenses of realism or symbolism, would lead us to defining two distinct aspects of design: either ‘Functionalist Futuristic Products’ or ‘Aesthetic Futuristic Products’, respectively. The former concerns primarily on the function or engineering aspects of design while the latter concentrates more on the formic value of a design.
Functionalist Futuristic Products: Sant’Elia’s as the father and founder of futurism perceives that “vision for a futurist city is mobile and dynamic in every detail; he even gave the very first impression of House being a giant machine with technology being on the front staying exposed like lifts, stairwells nourished by concrete, glass and steel” (Asim & Shree, 2018).
Aesthetic Futuristic Products: Asim, Shree (2018) and McGarrigle (2016) regards futurism as a redefinition of the existing system in an entirely different look: “Futurism as an artistic movement repudiated use of traditional forms and adopted the revolutionary impulse regarding possibilities that technology could revive and amplify culture, dilapidated lifestyle and the condition of cities” (Asim & Shree, 2018; McGarrigle, 2016).
Designing Your Dream is Futuristic Design
Individualism and Futurism are inherent contributing elements that define each other in design studies. For instance, there have been no collective scholars to define futurism with common denominators. Every individual has their own definition of futuristic design and if it turns into a common trend, it is no longer a futuristic design since the very essence of every futuristic design is the exploration of forms in designer’s own mind, entirely unique and distinct from another individual designer. As well expressed in the existing literature “futuristic buildings are supposed to last only for a short period of time as the style believes in the idea that all generations must dream and build their own cities” (Asim & Shree, 2018). Futuristic buildings can be called futuristic as long as they are updated regularly with the latest and most suitable technology (ibid, 2018). “Neo-futurism and Deconstructivism are linked with each other in such a way that it becomes difficult to determine where to draw the line of their differential aspects Deconstructivism relies on Computer aided design (CAD) to visualize various forms and tendencies of the material and design elements. It opposes the established periphery of modernism and post-modernism in terms of rationality” (ibid, 2018).
Unity of Mobility and Shelter as a Single Product: A gradual movement towards the integration of sedentary and mobile products into a unified product, the definition of dwelling and numerous products within will shift, as well. Taking a holistic stand, the terms ‘dream’ and ‘body’ play essential role in the formation of futuristic design. Le Corbusier’s later profound quote “The house is a machine for living in”. Futuristic Architectural and Furniture Design in this article is argued to be a state of the art forms that are capable of moving through the application of the latest technological achievements. Among the features that enable dynamism and mobility in an architectural and interior design are: the body formation, sensual forms, fluid shapes, limbic forms, animated tendencies in form, organic and biomorphic features, high aesthetic-functionality dialectic, etc. Either the futuristic design is well-headed towards a fully automatic and robotic structure, or it is a mere formic glance at what future shapes would satiate human desire for artistic sense, in any case, a mobility and fluidity sense in the form and a look towards a far more distant point in the future (free of past and present conventions and constructions) are the determining features of any futuristic design.
The notion of body formation encompasses the innovation or creation of a whole body capable of conveying either a symbolic or real senses and/or emotions in a single product that has a distinctively defined function to play for users. This is a formic approach to the product designed, since the definition of system has gained wider application and acceptance in engineering science wherein a single engineered product is a unified object enabled to perform a distinctively defined function through certain features or organs, irrespective of much emphasis on its aesthetic form or limbs.
Emotional Design and Futurism
The application of emotion into design realm, perhaps, by far, has best been studied by Donald Norman who has classified three distinctly defined levels of emotional appreciation of all designed product. These three levels of perception are (Norman, 2004):
-Visceral: expressing quick emotions towards products’ visual appearance
-Behavioral: emotions coincide with bodily activity and are related to the pleasure and effectiveness of use
-Reflective: Emotions occurring at a contemplative level and relate to the rationalization and intellectualization of a product.
According to Norman (2004), products should appeal visually to the users (first impression) at first glance, concomitantly bring behavioral alignment of the user with product; and eventually provoke positive memories in users’ mind (2004). Full presence of this hierarchy in a positive way guarantees a product’s success in longitudinal perspective. In other words, the emotions embedded in design of the purchased product is meant to be carried all the way long through the lifecycle of a product. Futuristic design, at QERMEZi is meant to suspend the feeling of emotional satisfaction from furniture to a far distant point into the future. Futurism sense is to be carried in all aspects including user satisfaction, trend, sustainability, to name, but a few. Users are to sense a positive and affirmative feeling towards QERMEZi products from the time they purchase those products to a far point into the future, or towards the whole life-cycle of those furniture.
Reference:
1. Asim, F., & Shree, V. (2018). A Century of Futurist Architecture: from Theory to Reality. Journal of Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology, 5(6), 338-343.
2. McGarrigle N. The Futurist world of architect Antonio Sant’Elia [Internet]. The Irish Times. 2016
3. Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic Civitas Books.
4. Tavşan, F., Gerçek, M., & Bal, H. B. New Furniture Design Concept in Future Themed Science Fiction Films.
