Living Tomorrow: Reflections on the Future of Home Design

What does it mean to live well — not just now, but in the years to come?   In conversations we’ve had across design events, client sessions, and our own internal forums, one thing has become increasingly clear: the way we live is shifting. And with it, the role of the architect is shifting too. We're no longer just designing buildings. We're rethinking assumptions, questioning old defaults, and exploring new ways of being at home in the world.   One such conversation unfolded recently at INDEX Dubai, where I joined a panel titled Living Tomorrow: How Design is Shaping Future Homes. It was a spirited session — not just about trends, but about the deeper questions we often skip: Are we still designing around outdated norms? Are we bold enough to imagine something entirely different?   Beyond the Car: The Architecture of Human-First Cities   One theme that came up — and that we’ve been exploring deeply at Nellis — is the question of how much space we give over to cars. In Dubai and many other cities, developments often begin with four or five levels of podium parking. This shapes everything: form, rhythm, even how people move and connect at street level. But what happens when we take that away? I referenced a favourite example — Ljubljana, Slovenia — a city that removed cars from its centre since 2007. A decade later, the streets didn’t just look different — they felt different. Calmer. Greener. More human. It’s a reminder that small design choices have the power to shift entire ways of life. As we look toward future homes and neighbourhoods, we’re asking: what would it mean to design around people, not vehicles? Around movement, not just mechanics?   The Subscription Home: A Nomadic Future   Another idea I shared — and one we’re intrigued by — is the possibility of subscribing to how we live. In world where we already subscribe to music, transport, and groceries, could our living spaces become just as flexible? Could we access beautifully designed homes in different parts of the world, aligned not just to our work, but to our life stage and values? The infrastructure already exists — Airbnb and remote work have made it possible. What’s missing is a mindset shift. One that sees home as something fluid, not fixed. Responsive, not permanent. For many, that felt surprisingly natural — like something we’ve already been longing for, but haven’t yet designed toward.   Showing Up Differently   What struck me most across all these discussions — at INDEX and beyond — was how design conversations are changing. At Nellis, we chose not to show a portfolio at the panel. We didn’t pitch. We reflected. We shared thinking. And in doing so, something clicked: the strongest reactions weren’t to what we’d built, but to how we were thinking about life. About rhythm. About meaning. That felt like confirmation. People don’t just want buildings. They want perspective. They want purpose. Designing With, Not For This reflection isn't limited to panels or expos. It’s woven into how we work every day. We don’t begin with blueprints. We begin with people — their habits, their families, their fears, their rituals. Our role isn’t to project an idea onto a site. It’s to interpret a life. You're not designing for a demographic — you're designing for a daughter who dances barefoot in the hallway. For a father who rises with the sun. For a family who gathers under a shaded courtyard every Sunday. For rhythms that aren’t generic — they’re specific, textured, and evolving.   That’s the work. That’s where meaning lives.   Even as our projects grow in scale — from villas to neighbourhoods, homes to boutique hotels — we carry this same approach forward. Growth doesn’t mean becoming less personal. It means becoming more intentional. Boutique Scale, Lasting Impact We see this playing out in our hospitality work too. Our current hotel project is small — just 25 keys. But it’s designed to be deeply human. It’s a space for presence, not just convenience. People don’t want generic anymore. They want care. Character. Memory. A large hotel might offer amenities. A boutique one offers intimacy. And we believe this shift — from spectacle to experience — is where design is heading.   A Necessary Pause   Design fairs like INDEX offer a moment of pause. A place to touch material, to hear new ideas, to reconnect with the tactile in a world that’s increasingly fast and digital. But the bigger reminder is this: thoughtful design isn’t happening on stages. It’s happening everywhere — quietly, beautifully, in studios, in sketches, in site visits. Every material choice, every detail, holds the weight of someone’s thinking, care, and intent. That’s the kind of work we want to be part of. In a world rushing toward scale, we’re doubling down on what matters most: understanding people, holding space for meaning, and shaping homes that help people live well — now and into tomorrow. Want to keep up with the ideas that move us? Follow Nellis Architecture here on LinkedIn, or drop us a message if you're curious about how we bring this thinking into the homes and spaces we create.