When you think about the future, how do you envision the built environment? Joe Cianciotto thinks that the future is closer than we might think—current projects are already answering the imagined needs and desires of the next generation. From a tower with rotating floors to a park with the ability to cleanse raw sewage, these project examples are starting to embody the architecture of tomorrow. Frank Lloyd Wright, Joe Cianciotto’s favorite architect, once said that architects are like poets; as they be the great interpreters of their time. Frank Lloyd Wright’s visions of harmonious design and innovating urban planning amounted to his own brand of organic architecture. It’s plain to see that Wright wasn’t just an interpreter of his time, he was a visionary that was able to foresee the needs and desires of ages ahead of him.

So what architectural trends should we expect in the near future? Largely optimistic, these trends indicate a rosy future for the structures that surround us every day. Architects predict that these buildings won’t be as flashy, but they’ll be far more useful on an everyday basis. And they may be built of a material you haven’t even heard of yet. Case in point, hypnotic bridges. Why craft boring suspension bridges or arched overpasses when humanity is capable of building massive architectural feats like this to cross a river? The bridge design involves three individual, swirling lanes hovering over the picturesque landscape of the city. How about rotating skyscrapers? The enormous, towering building would have floors that move ever so slightly, completing a 360-degree rotation every 90 minutes. Forget about fighting for an east-facing apartment, the suites would have all four cardinal directions covered. The building would be equipped with several giant wind turbines that generate electricity for tenants, and penthouse residents would be able to park their car at their apartments thanks to nifty lifts.

As clients become more interested in thinking outside the physical box of the building, architects will need to collaborate with more experts from different fields. Joe is already seeing broad design teams that include social anthropologists and environmental scientists who are creating nurturing, sustainable and meaningful environments. Architectural practices are continuously evolving because of new merging construction methods and other technologies helping the design and construction of a project. These new breakthroughs allow architects to be more creative with their future projects.