Do we really strive to build resiliency or is this just a theory on paper? How much development is enough for humans? Will, this virtual world take over our real-world one day? For the answer to all these questions, we need to understand the difference between what technology does to us and what it does for us. And the difference is huge!
“The robots are coming!” Both we and our built environment are largely affected by the advancement in technology. Whether we’re consumers or developers, we must consider the psychological effects of the technologies we use today and the innovations just around the corner. Intending to automate the whole process, we are replacing humans and their efforts which are good to a point where we want to increase our productivity and decrease our production time but have we ever thought about the after-effects it will bring in the long-term. Actually no!
Our particular industry is no exception, so let’s take a look at how robotics is impacting the construction industry:
Lean Construction Principals: This technology has proved to be a major advancement in the construction sector, resulting in increased productivity and the elimination of waste, hence reducing manpower.
Demolition: As we are climbing towards the era of cement chaparrals everywhere, construction and demolition are now among the most common tasks to be done by robots, hence speeding up the demolition process and saving time and cost.
Generative Designing: The emanation of generative design has bought an unpredictable revolution in the world of technology. It combines the multidisciplinary type of expertise into uncustomary ways leading to innovative geometries either with human dependency or with the help of test programs using artificial intelligence, hence capable of completely replacing the designers and architects.
3D printing: With the introduction to additive manufacturing, the complex geometries created by the generic process can be seen coming to life with actually zero human involvement.
Brick Laying: Our advancement in technology has even enabled us to develop machines to lay the brickwork during construction, hence reducing the dependency on humans.
As a result, the whole process has been automated, from design to implementation, holding the potential to eliminate all the labor and design work currently done by humans. The technology enables people to use its various implementations in different ways, so the amount and type of jobs that get replaced by it will, in the end, be determined by people, not by technology.
If one extrapolates a tech-fueled future whose only focus is on profit margins, there will be plenty of collateral damage. Now it’s up to us what future we want for ourselves, as the day is not far when robots will replace humans.
During this age of profit and productivity, we have overlooked the value of human emotions and their positive health effects. Due to the fact that we are social creatures, we are also all-too-easy addicts, because of which we don’t know when to stop. In order to prevent this, we need to create a balance between both technology and society, which is comprised of us, humans.
Ar. Kritika Juneja is an Architect, Architecture journalist and Founder Arch Valor.
