ARCHITECTURAL ENVIRONMENT DESIGN: CURRENT CHALLENGES

The article concentrates on the problem of gradual transformation of the design paradigm for an architectural environment, which is caused by the following: the acceleration of transformation processes of common mental models of reality, the shift in the value priorities of society, the evolution of social communication system, technological breakthrough. Architectural environment design increasingly separates from traditional architecture and, on one side, draws closer to the social design, and on the other side, to the web design. Architectural environment transforms into largely augmented, if not entirely virtual, reality, which by means of technical innovations can greatly facilitate human life and improve the world.

Challenges the architectural environment design faces today are the following: social and cultural orientation of an architectural environment, which provides individuals with an opportunity to regulate their level of social contact with the others; inclusivity of an architectural environment, which is focused on creating conditions for equal participation of every person in public life; intellectualization of an artificial environment, which manifests itself in the distribution of robotic and automated technologies; interactive properties of an architectural environment, which emerge in its abilities to respond to the occupants’ actions adequately and in real-time mode; personalization of environmental objects, which can be siuted to the individual preferences of each person; responsiveness of an artificial environment, which able to transform its characteristics in accordance with the changing operating conditions; gamification of architectural and urban objects, which are oriented on game interactions between people and environment; energy efficiency of an architectural environment, which is related to the ability of the environmental elements to receive energy from renewable sources; ecological efficiency of environmental solutions, which is achieved through the cost-effective use of natural resources and maintenance of the balance between artificial and natural components of the environment; productivity of an architectural environment, which allows society to obtain material assets literally from the air; non-semantic features of an architectural environment, which are apparent in the loss of commonly comprehensible architectural and urban forms, and, consequently, their communicative capabilities.

Gradual, but significant changes in the design paradigm of an architectural environment require constant monitoring of the existing trends in this field of professional activity, to understand and correct the direction of professional training of specialists. It is emphasized in the article, that insufficient attention of the professional community of city planners, architects and designers to these challenges can lead to the negative consequences for the progressive development of the design culture.

It is concluded, that modern architecture no longer wants to be proud of its grandeur and firmness. From the newest environmental objects consumers expect a respectful and tolerant attitude to all members of society, when each person has an opportunity to control the conditions of their own life; «touch-sensitiveness», whensomething can be changed with one touch; «friendly interface», able to adapt quickly to the specific requests of each user. It is not enough today for the building to invoke some associations in the users. Nowadays, the postmodern dream of the dialogue between architectural objects and man has turned into an overall expectation from the environment for an instant, relevant and conscious answers to any our questions. The architectural environment must be smart, interesting and empathic, it should be able to communicate and cooperate with a person in real time, as well as take care of the interests of present and future generations, and these statements can no longer be treated as metaphors. Consequently, it is not reasonable for an architect to murmur on the destruction of the cornerstones of traditional architecture, but it is worth to reflect on the adaptation of its enduring achievements to the actual needs and expectations of contemporaries and their descendants.