Liz Terry, CEO of Leisure Media and editor of Spa Opportunities and Spa Business magazines, was invited to identify two architectural trends for the wellness industry in a Trends Jam brainstorming session at the Global Wellness Summit in Mexico City last week.

Terry's first trend was Living Buildings. She said that in the future, buildings that are alive will be able to sense our every need: "One day, we'll live and work in structures which are alive and sensing, like us. They'll be a new species which we'll create through a form of genetic engineering."

"We know our personal biome dictates all sorts of things about our health and existence. These buildings will be part of our personal biome," she continued.

“Imagine walking through the door – the building will immediately know how you are – if you’re tired, it will dim the lights or increase oxygen levels; if you’re cold, it will make the air warmer and if you’re hungry, it will scan your body, know what nutrients you need, and fabricate the food for you,” said Terry.

"But it won't just do this with electronic sensors, it will be a living organism with heightened senses."

She imagined buildings that can grow additional rooms, or move doors or windows to follow the light, and that when damaged, are able to heal themselves. "They will be able to fasten their foundations on to a wide variety of landscapes and surfaces," she said, "But if there's a flood, it will detach and float."

“We already use biomimicry to recreate the natural functions of nature in buildings, and this will be the next stage of evolution of that idea,” said Terry.

Terry also said that Responsive Environments in interior design will become important, through the harnessing of biological, mechanical and digital next-generation technology.

“We already have haptics – surfaces which feel as they look...but this is just the beginning,” said Terry. “One day, we’ll have fabrics which cuddle us, food which tickles our tongues as we eat it, and sensory environments which can stimulate or comfort us depending on mood.”

Terry and her team at Leisure Media, publish the annual Foresight™ trends reports Spa Foresight™, Sports Foresight™, Leisure Foresight™, Attractions Foresight™, Fitness Foresight™ and CLAD Foresight™.