On December 7, 2023, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) hosted its first-ever Futures Symposium, a one-day event where NCARB volunteers and industry innovators came together to discuss technological advancements and trends shaping the future of architecture.  

The first session on space architecture featured Dr. Aril Ekblaw, Director of the MIT Space Exploration Initiative, and discussed how architects can design and create communities in space for humans to thrive, not just survive. For regulators, the opportunity is to provide guidance that supports the wellbeing of future inhabitants of space habitats 

Continuing the conversation around extreme environments, in the second session, panelists spoke about how architects can meet challenges posed by climate change and develop solutions to ensure sustainability. 

The symposium also tackled the topic of artificial intelligence in architecture, with panelists like architect and technologist Phil Bernstein, FAIA, assuring the audience that AI will not replace architects in the near future. If used correctly, AI can be a tool to help architects work more efficiently to tackle problems arising from extreme environments and other challenges ahead.