Designing for the Future: modulyss Talks

Designing for a future where people and planet can thrive together in harmony. It starts by resetting our way of thinking, working, and living. At this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week we turned our London showroom into a platform for design’s sharpest thinkers. Via our modulyss Talks they shared their knowledge on what’s in store for design and architecture, and how these new trends should become a standard. Here are our key takeaways of this year’s modulyss Talks at Clerkenwell Design Week.

Exploring the Power of Design that Flexes, Connects and Adapts

Becky White from Universal Design Studio unpacks the power of hybrid design and why flexibility is the future of architecture.

Here are our key takeaways:

Design for unpredictability
Forget fixed-purpose. Create spaces that adapt and where the unexpected isn’t a glitch, but a feature.
Two types of hybrid, one bold goal
Whether layering functions (Type A) or shifting over time (Type B), hybrid spaces challenge the status quo and win.
Soft boundaries invite engagement
Let people flow in. Open façades, shared tables and layered entrances make space feel accessible and alive.
Sharing trumps owning
The sharing economy isn’t just digital. It’s physical too. Flexible spaces reduce waste and increase access.
Modularity maximises impact
Smart, modular elements allow for endless reconfiguration, without sacrificing style or identity.
Design for emotion, not just function
A hybrid space isn’t just efficient. It’s visceral. It invites people to feel something, not just use something.
Less zoning, more cross-pollination
Cross-industry collisions (retail x wellness, art x hospitality) lead to richer, more original experiences.

What if Design Wasn’t Static but Responsive?

Gurvinder Khurana and Kim Morgan from M Moser Associates explored how neuroaesthetics and smart design are reshaping the way we feel, think and perform in space.

Here’s what stood out:

Neuroaesthetics is design’s emotional intelligence
It’s about how people feel in a space, not just what it looks like. The emotional response becomes the benchmark for good design.
Brains don’t lie
Using EEG tech, M Moser mapped real-time brain activity in response to environments. The result? Every brain told a different story. Same space, different emotional reactions.
Empathy is everything
Design needs to support neurodiverse brains, changing moods, and shifting tasks. One-size-fits-all is out. Human-centric adaptability is in.
We’re not just designing for sight and sound
Proprioception, scent, temperature, materiality… our senses go way beyond the traditional five. The best spaces tune into all of them.
Daylight changes everything
Daylight modelling helps deliver more natural light deeper into buildings, reducing stress, enhancing mood, and boosting cognitive performance.
Biophilia, redefined
It’s not about adding plants. It’s about grounding materials, visual complexity, natural rhythms and connection to elements like water, light, and air.
Your building should know how you feel
AI-driven sensors now track light, sound, air quality, even occupancy, helping people find the right space, right when they need it.

The Future Isn’t Just Sustainable, it’s Regenerative

Farah Caswell and Laura Narvaez Zertuche from Foster + Partners’ message is clear: we need to rethink how we design, build and live. Regenerative design isn't just the next step, it’s the only step forward.

Here are the key ideas shaping the conversation:

Regeneration over reduction
It’s not enough to minimise impact. Design must actively restore ecosystems, enrich communities and add long-term value.
Carbon is just the start
We need to address both embodied carbon (materials, construction) and operational carbon (energy use over time). Sustainability means owning the full lifecycle.
Sustainability is systems thinking
Energy, water, mobility, materials… nothing exists in isolation. Regenerative design connects the dots across urban and environmental systems.
Human-centred design is non-negotiable
Health, equity and well-being are now central drivers, not soft outcomes.
Nature isn’t a backdrop, it’s strategy
Biodiversity, climate resilience and nature-based solutions must be hardwired into every project.
Design must be context-driven
Copy-paste solutions don’t cut it. Local culture, climate and community needs shape every decision.
One framework, all scales
Whether it’s a material, a building or a city, sustainability principles must apply with equal rigour.
Data with depth
Use advanced tools and analytics but never lose sight of lived experience and intuition.

For Tomorrow’s Generation, Design Starts with Purpose

A sharp panel of architects and designers led by Helen Parton tackled the challenge around designing for the future. Their message? Younger generations are reshaping the brief and they expect design to keep up.

Here are some main insights:

Design for values, or don’t bother
Gen Z doesn’t separate ethics from aesthetics. Sustainability, inclusivity and social impact are the foundation, not the flourish.
Wellbeing is the new must-have
Whether at home, work or in hospitality, spaces must support mental clarity, physical comfort and emotional safety. No compromise.
One size fits no one
Gen Z wants authenticity, not templates. Designers must respond to place, people and culture, not repeat what worked last time.
Sustainability isn’t a side dish
It’s baked in from the start. Evidence-based choices, circular materials, integrated strategy, this generation sees through greenwashing.
Design with, not for
Co-design, consultation, spatial agency, whatever you call it, Gen Z expects to shape the environments they inhabit.
The future is multi-generational
Workplaces now house four generations. The best designs balance tech-savviness with human-centred thinking, for everyone.