what is the future of architecture and design?

Where is policy, government, economics and public opinion and perception leading the future of architecture? of design? These are the things that we cannot control, and are therefore the most important to understand.

Perhaps the answer is not with the architects, designers, theorists and philosophers, but with the industry think tanks, community and government bodies, economists, clients and developers - what they believe, what they feel, what their perceptions are, not ours. They are the cllients, they are the ones that pay us to give them what they want. Preconceptions and agendas play a difficult and sometimes unwanted part in the game. Our own agendas, nor those of the entire industry, can change the future of the economy. Unless the best designers worldwide become self-financing developers, we are all subject to the wishes and desires of the client, and the fluctuations of the economy. What is more interesting, is to understand just how to convince our clients of the appropriateness of certain design characteristics that may be further afield or more advanced or above-and-beyond that which they require, or what they think they require. It is our job to ferret out of the program, and out of our conversations with the client, just what it is that the client actually wants or needs, and whether that is appropriate to the circumstances and prevailing conditions.

The more important questions? Who are the experts about cultural, economic, industy trends, what kinds of things do they know, what exactly do they know, but most importantly, what is relevant and how can it be employed to further understand the future of architecture?