The Future of Architecture Belongs to Those Who See Buildings As Living Systems

• Architecting the future: As buildings and digital twins become more advanced, architects will take on a larger role in a building’s lifecycle.

• Power brokers: Developers are increasingly interested in procuring energy for data centers and other property types.

• China’s savior: A Chinese real estate crash looks to have been avoided but the losses will have implications for investor sentiment going forward.

• Multifamily webinar: Centralization is helping apartment owners cut costs, reduce risks, and improve resident experiences. Sign up

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Architecture

The Future of Architecture Belongs to Those Who See Buildings As Living Systems

Architects once shaped skylines with pencil and paper, then handed their work off and moved on. But buildings today are digital, alive with sensors and data. That reality is forcing a rethink of what it means to be an architect in an era where a building’s story does not end at completion but continues to evolve.

Benjamin Glunz of Anguleris believes the biggest hurdle to that evolution is not technology but economics. If architects are paid only for drawings, their involvement ends once the blueprints are done. But if compensation is tied to how a building performs—its efficiency, longevity, or adaptability—they have a reason to stay engaged long after the ribbon is cut.

Forward-looking firms are already adapting. They are monitoring air quality, tracking energy use, and helping owners improve performance over time. The future of architecture is not just about creating structures. It is about staying connected to them, ensuring they thrive, and redefining what lasting design truly means.

Overheard

Real Estate Developers Are Turning Into “Power” Brokers

Big real estate developers are increasingly becoming power brokers—negotiating large-scale energy agreements to lock in lower rates, secure grid priority, or access renewables. Major developers are leveraging their scale to strike deals typically reserved for industrial users and data centers. This trend shows how energy is again becoming a key factor in real estate returns—not just a cost, but a strategic asset.

This isn’t just about hyperscale data centers. Large office towers and multifamily projects are also cutting deals for power. For example, landmark properties like the JPMorgan tower have negotiated power purchase agreements (PPAs) to secure clean energy or favorable rates. Multifamily developers are doing the same, securing bulk procurement contracts or on-site generation agreements that reduce exposure to utility price volatility. These arrangements give buildings a competitive edge on operating costs, sustainability credentials, and tenant appeal.

For developers and owners, this shift means that energy strategy is becoming as important as location or lease terms. A favorable power agreement can improve net operating income, reduce risk to value, and support marketing claims around carbon performance. As power markets get more volatile and carbon regulation intensifies, owning control over energy pricing could distinguish resilient buildings from the competition and avoid any painful spikes in energy prices.

No Collapse Yet, But Credibility Is the New Chinese Real Estate Risk

China’s real estate crash might be softer than many forecasters predicted, but the latest signals from the country’s biggest builders offer a cautionary tale: capital has grown much more skeptical about any investment in China’s property sector going forward. After a wave of restructurings, the largest developers are now moving gingerly by repaying debt, resisting defaults, and avoiding fire sales. Development is limping forward, though with little optimism.

That pattern suggests the worst-case scenarios of total collapse may not arrive in full, but it also means we’re watching a slow motion decline rather than a sharp crisis. Large players are avoiding headline defaults by reshuffling debt, contracting new construction, and focusing on stabilizing liquidity. But that kind of controlled decay doesn’t restore confidence, it prolongs uncertainty. For global investors, especially those seeking returns in China’s property sector, the message becomes: maybe the crash was overblown, but the risk is structural, systemic, and slow to resolve.

The broader implication is that China’s property sector may no longer be a high-upside asset class. Investors will now demand premium yields, greater due diligence, and structural protections (e.g. joint ventures, exit clauses) before deploying capital in the country. Investor losses have set a tone: yes, the collapse was avoided, but China’s real estate plays must now overcome trust deficits that may linger for years.

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Propmodo Daily is written and edited by Franco Faraudo with contributions from readers like you and the Propmodo team.

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