DISPATCH 1

Future Architecture Is—

By Sharon Chang
April 2 2025

Over the past decade, I’ve made many attempts to describe what I call future architecture—including some open-ended thoughts in my 2023 memoir, Bottom of the Iceberg. Recently, I realized I might’ve been trying too hard to make it sound unique or official. But in truth, future architecture is simply a work in progress. My thinking evolves as I learn and grow, and my language shifts accordingly.

This space offers some background on the concept, but more importantly, it’s where I’ll share new ideas—how I rethink future architecture, how I practice building shared futures, and how I work with others on a spiritual path toward deeper collective awareness.

Let me pause to talk about how I view reality. In 2023, while seeking relief from long COVID, I began studying with a Taoist teacher who challenged my sense of what’s real. At one point, he said, “Your sense of reality is distorted.” I resisted at first—until I understood he meant Reality as it exists beyond the mind. When I asked, “Does anyone see Reality clearly?” He stared at me for nearly a full minute, smiled mischievously and asked me in return,

Have you ever met a living Buddha?”

That moment shifted something in me. I’ve always believed future architecture begins with understanding our inner “self-architecture.” But only then did I feel the deep gap between Reality and my perception of it.

One way to explain this is by exploring the difference between what’s true and what’s real. Many things can be true within our personal stories, but that doesn’t mean they reflect Reality. Most of us live inside stories. If you remove an experience from its story, is it still real? Why does that matter?

Here’s why: Future architecture is based on the belief that what we call “reality” is mostly story. In Reality, time doesn’t exist—there’s no past, present, or future. So when we talk about the future, we’re actually talking about a new story we haven’t written yet.

Just like physical architects, we can shape this future by analyzing the present, imagining what’s possible, designing something meaningful, and working together to build it. Of course, designing a shared future is even more complex than constructing a building—but the principles still apply. Some ask why I don’t call this “social architecture.” My answer: I’m focused on changing trajectories, not just adjusting the plot.

Through this lens, even things like science or morality can be seen as evolving stories. Philosopher Thomas Nagel points out that moral truths emerge only when certain conditions exist. That insight excites me—not for its philosophical angle, but because it suggests architects of the future can help shape those conditions.

By recognizing the difference between our constructed reality and Reality, we begin to see the threshold between knowledge and wisdom, between human-centered thinking and a deeper interconnection with all life. Practicing future architecture is an alchemical process—learning to move between these realms and transform the interstitial into something new.

When I founded the Guild of Future Architects (GoFA) in 2019, I wanted to build a real-world expression of these ideas. At the time, I didn’t yet grasp how fluid and evolving the work would be. GoFA wasn’t the final word—it was a living experiment, shaped by people who cared about the future, even if they didn’t all agree on what future architecture meant. Then came the pandemic, and GoFA shifted to crisis response, losing sight of its larger vision.

That experience brings me here: to a new space where I can share ideas freely, without needing to be “right.” Future architecture is always evolving. I’m here to explore, question, and build with others who are curious and hopeful.

If anything here resonates, feel free to reach out—share ideas, offer feedback, or just say hello.

UPCOMING: In Dispatch 02 I will be covering the collaboration between Dream Office of Imaginary Friends and School of Inclement Weather as we envision our shared future at Bellweather. Stay tuned.

fa

Shared Futures