Rapid advances in construction, manufacturing, and other technologies have transformed the traditional notion of the home or building. These are no longer simple brick-and-mortar spaces. Today, homes think, buildings breathe, and towers dance with the wind.

This week, Great Futures explores next-generation buildings. Meet the world’s top sports-stadium architects and the president of the company that made the Empire State Building state of the art. Look into the future, where robots build homes on the surface of the moon, and more.

Built by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia and the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT, The Fab Lab House generates three times the energy it consumes. The unique shape was designed for optimal solar panel orientation, minimal surface area on the ground, and increased ventilation.

Photo courtesy of Adrià Goula