Culture, history and individual personality shape how we view our world and our place in it but our urban environment and interiors can also have a profound influence on how we behave whilst within these spaces. So, the design of our built environment affects not only our emotions and actions but also our wellbeing, our health, our social connections and how well we can adapt to a changing world.
On a global scale we are currently facing significant challenges – from economic recovery following the pandemic to creating a society that is inclusive and accessible and balancing a growing population with environmental protection. As we search for a healthy and sustainable future, the concept of protopia could offer a new outlook on designing a world that can solve these ‘wicked issues’.
First coined by author and founding editor of Wired magazine Kevin Kelly, protopia finds a middle ground between the unachievable ‘perfection’ of utopia and the hopelessness of a dystopian world, acknowledging that there cannot be a single future but that through incremental improvements we can find a satisfactory sense of progress and optimism.
More a verb than a noun, a journey rather than a destination, protopia encourages us to find a plurality of pragmatic solutions, each building on the successes of its predecessor, to expand our horizons and open our minds to imaginative and symbiotic possibilities.
Designing our interiors for such an ever-changing vision of the future requires flexibility and creativity. Spaces that connect us to the outside world and facilitate our relationships with each other will nourish us in the present time and provide a strong foundation on which we can build a successful future.
When designing for commercial spaces, it is important to understand the emotions or behaviours that each situation requires as well as how people will use the space and interact with each other. Layout, natural materials, colour and light are just some of the interconnected factors that can be used to create an atmosphere that encourages emotive states such as relaxation, creativity, collaboration or animation.
The largest element in an interior is often the floor so we find that when this design works, the rest of the space slots effortlessly into place. With expressive designs using a combination of wood, stone and other materials in a range of laying patterns and geometric shapes, a bespoke floor design can effectively influence how the space is used in the present day and also help each interior adapt to the changing needs of the future.
