Trends Living in the future

Tiny living

If you really want to save energy, you have to live smaller. Energy-efficient living and large living simply do not go together.

Living in the future

a question of living differently

'Who knows, maybe we'll soon be sharing houses like we already do with cars!

— Herman Konings If we want to keep our planet inhabitable for everyone, we urgently have to change how we live. But are we as a society ready for that? And are there enough alternatives? Herman Konings, change psychologist and trend analyst, Rick Splinter, Associate Partner at Mecanoo Architects, and Davy Demuynck, CEO of ION, take an innovative look at the future.

— Let's start in the here and now. What

does living in 2022 mean to you?

Rick Splinter: “Today, we are still failing in many di erent areas. When I look at the Netherlands, I see that a great many people rent. There, the middle-class is already short of some 300,000 owner-occupied homes. Alongside issues of sustainability and a ordability, this scarcity of homes is a real problem.”

Herman Konings: “We're also seeing these pain points across the border. House prices in Belgium have risen enormously, and we've invested too much – not in pension funds, but in our own properties.”

Davy Demuynck: “In the Netherlands, you also have huge movements towards urban areas, so homes in its towns and cities are very expensive. We've only just started experiencing this trend in Belgium, because until recently, buying in Antwerp or Brussels was pretty a ordable. A ordability is the common thread in this story. Unfortunately, long-term repayment is no longer possible for a certain percentage of the population. This is a major challenge for us.”

Herman Konings: “The younger generations are less interested in owning their own homes. Millennials are also more likely to invest. Unfortunately, they are often tempted by cryptocurrency, which does not really have a natural connection to a real economy. The

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idea of investing may be the trigger for young people to rent, and to use their savings to buy shares instead of bricks and mortar.”

— What alternative ways of living do you

think we will see more often in the future?

Davy Demuynck: "The cost of household bills will become increasingly crucial when choosing a home. Just look at the rise in energy prices, for example. It's apparent that many people never realized such a cost could suddenly double. This shift will provide the necessary positive impulse among the players in the housing market who are committed to sustainable housing."

Herman Konings: "You notice that in recent years there has been more and more interest in coliving and cohousing. A study by Kantar, one of the largest market research firms in the world, gauged the interest of the younger generations in intergenerational cohabitation. About 20 to 25 percent were keen on a shared housing solution. So the idea and the intention is there, and now all we need is a little push! Especially when house and energy prices go up, an alternative such as this can be quite attractive."

Rick Splinter: "In the Netherlands, too, there are more and more applications for coliving projects, with people from all di erent age groups signing up. And actually, in every new development nowadays there is a kind of cohousing touch."

Davy Demuynck: "It is up to the early adopters to take that first step. But when you make the comparison with other sectors, the real-estate sector is capital-intensive. For example, the feasibility study and classic view of real-estate from the banking sector play

'It's up to the early adopters to take that first step.

— Davy Demuynck

a major role. I can see improvement and progress on this score in the future. Technological progress will make many things simpler and cheaper, so the traditional players will have to adapt."

— Will technological progress impact

real-estate in the future?

Herman Konings: "When we talk about the future of real-estate, living and working, my biggest concern is the presence of the big players on a global level. For example, Amazon is investing 2 billion dollars in a huge residential complex at a former airport in India, and Google is o ering cheaper homes in exchange for data."

Rick Splinter: "When we develop, we also do so with a view to public space and infrastructure. We give something back to the city, creating a new, inclusive neighborhood where everyone is welcome. But will the big players do the same? Will everyone still be allowed to enter these areas and complexes? And who will they rent to, and who not?"

Davy Demuynck: "The traditional real-estate sector will come under serious pressure. Our housing needs have changed enormously in recent years. Young people don't mind moving and house-hopping more often. So there will undoubtedly be a lot of transformation in the coming period."

Herman Konings: "Who knows, maybe we'll soon be sharing houses like we already do with cars!"

— What push do you expect from the

government?

Herman Koninckx: "O ering financial support for coliving, cohousing and coworking – because these are also solutions for the mental well-being of the population."

Davy Demuynck: "The government has a really important role here. The European Green Deal of 2050 is getting closer and closer. I expect a legislative framework in which we will transform housing behaviour, and wave goodbye to our traditional way of living."

ION Real Estape

ION was the first in the sector to start its own podcast, which is called 'Real Estape'. Every two months we invite experts to our table to discuss a current theme together.