How we will breathe in 2050
How will we experience indoor air in 2050? And which technologies, buildings and ways of thinking will shape the air quality of tomorrow? A vision for healthy indoor climates and the ventilation systems of the future.
- High-quality air will increasingly become the norm by 2050.
- Buildings will respond to occupancy, activity and individual needs.
- Indoor climate conditions will become far more personalised than they are today.
- Sensors, data and AI will support the building automation systems of the future.
- Health and energy efficiency will be considered together rather than separately.
- Ventilation systems will operate largely automatically in the background.
THE INDOOR CLIMATE OF THE FUTURE: HOW WE WILL LIVE AND BREATHE IN 2050
Many of the buildings we will use in 2050 already exist today. At the same time, expectations regarding indoor air quality, occupant comfort and energy efficiency continue to grow.
New insights into healthy indoor climates, the effects of climate change and ongoing digitalisation are changing how indoor spaces are planned and operated. Buildings will increasingly adapt to people, how spaces are used and what occupants need.
Facts & Figures
Buildings in 2050
- Many of the buildings in use in 2050 have already been built.
- Refurbishment and modernisation programmes will continue to improve building envelopes.
- Intelligent building technology will deliver better indoor air quality.
People and usage
- Indoor climate control will increasingly adapt to how spaces are used.
- Different spaces will have different air profiles.
- Individual preferences will play a much greater role in indoor climate management.
Technology
- Sensors will monitor changing conditions and adjust indoor climates in real time.
- Artificial intelligence will support future building automation.
- Intelligent ventilation systems will respond flexibly to demand and occupancy.
USER-CENTRED BUILDINGS INSTEAD OF ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL CLIMATES
Today, many buildings operate with largely uniform temperature and air-quality conditions throughout different spaces.
By 2050, this could look very different. Temperature, humidity and air quality will increasingly adapt to how a space is used and to the needs of the people within it. A conference room places different demands on air quality and comfort than a hospital, a production facility or a fitness centre. In the future, every space will have its own air profile.
»In 2050, we will hardly ever perceive the air inside buildings as unpleasant. High-quality air will be the norm.«
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dirk Müller, RWTH Aachen University
WHEN BUILDINGS
THINK AHEAD
Buildings of the future will automatically recognise how many people are in a space and how that space is being used.
Sensors, data analytics and AI-enabled building automation will capture relevant information and adjust indoor air conditions in real time. Future ventilation systems will respond flexibly to occupancy levels, activity and individual requirements.
The goal will no longer be to create a uniform climate for everyone, but an indoor environment that adapts to people.
BRINGING HEALTH AND CLIMATE TOGETHER
As our understanding of indoor environments grows, so too does awareness of their role in health and prevention
At the same time, climate change is transforming the demands placed on buildings. Cooling will become increasingly important, including in regions that still experience relatively moderate climates today.
Future buildings will combine air quality, energy efficiency and occupant comfort in increasingly intelligent ways.
Good indoor climates will no longer be defined solely by compliance with thresholds. Instead, the key question will be: what should a space enable? Concentration. Recovery. Or performance?
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING SERVICES?
In the future, buildings will increasingly be planned from the inside out. Usage, health and indoor climate considerations will influence planning decisions and material selection more strongly than they do today.
At the same time, building technology will become smarter and more interconnected. Intelligent ventilation systems will perform self-diagnostics, identify maintenance needs at an early stage and manage many functions automatically.
The decisive factor, however, will not be the amount of technology in a building, but how effectively it works together as part of a well-functioning overall system.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- By 2050, high-quality air will be a fundamental expectation in healthy indoor environments.
- Indoor climates will increasingly adapt to how spaces are used and what occupants require.
- Sensors, data and artificial intelligence will manage indoor climates in real time.
- Buildings will bring together health, comfort and energy efficiency.
- The future lies not in more technology, but in the intelligent interaction of connected systems.
faq
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS ABOUT AIR QUALITY 2050
Future ventilation systems will adapt air quality to buildings, occupancy and individual requirements. High-quality air will increasingly become the standard in indoor environments.
Artificial intelligence will support building automation, analyse building data and help align indoor climates and energy consumption with actual demand.
User-centred buildings adapt temperature, air quality and other indoor climate factors to the needs of their occupants.
Climate change is increasing cooling requirements in many regions, making thermal comfort and cooling strategies increasingly important.
Future systems will operate automatically, be highly interconnected and remain largely invisible in the background. Sensors, data and intelligent controls will deliver demand-led indoor climate management, allowing temperature, indoor humidity and air quality to adapt dynamically to how spaces are used.