What Do We Need From Our Homes Right Now? WIRED and Architectural Digest Collaborate

WIRED and Architectural Digest have teamed up for a series of stories examining what the next era of "home" might look like. The project began with a central question: What do we want and need from our homes?

The concept of home has become more complicated, influenced by climate issues, material costs, and new technology. Katie Drummond, WIRED's global editorial director, notes that homes will inevitably become smart, but fully automated adjustment is still a dream.

Architectural Digest's Amy Astley highlights Olson Kundig's Shearwater house, elevated on steel columns 23 feet high to protect against rising tides. Globally, architects are turning to low-tech materials like compressed earth, bamboo, and fire-resistant timber.

Stewart Brand, 87, built a state-of-the-art eco home designed for aging in place. Steven Blum wrote about monitoring his father with an always-on microphone, raising privacy questions. Jill Kargman's humorous piece advocates for analog homes as a backlash to smart technology. Designers predict homes will become calmer with spaces to disconnect.

A reader survey revealed that affordability and safety from climate change are top priorities. Even WIRED's Gear team suggested practical lamps instead of cutting-edge gadgets. Jackie Cooperman reports on the elusive starter-home dream. Katie Thornton covers parametric insurance for prepared communities.

The collaboration concludes that the best future homes may be the most adaptable, creating spaces that work for modern lives.