5G Technology and the Future of Architecture

Architecture is the true expression of people's lives within a framework of different aspects, including socio-economic, cultural, traditional, spiritual, and technological. Throughout history, technology has a significant impact on the development of architectural forms and structures. Nowadays, the progress of advanced technology began to reach an unprecedented level in the age of the internet and its related technologies. Since the appearance of the wireless connectivity, architecture, and urban design began to take another dimension in the design process to adopt the new technology and integrated it within its envelope. At the beginning of the 21st century, new approaches began to take place in the city, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and, more recently, the 4G and 5G wireless technology. However, the effectiveness of these advanced technologies depends on both the wireless signal coverage and the deployment of their equipment. In this context, these technologies impose a new challenge for architects, urban designers, and the construction industry to embrace them within the concept of the smart city. This study focuses on the analysis of 5G technology and highlighting its advantages and disadvantages, which impact the visual appearance and aesthetics of both buildings and the city. The study also intends to explore the various possible solutions to overcome the predicament of the wireless signal coverage and the penetration of buildings. However, this research aims to define a set of recommendations for the construction industry to take further innovative steps towards achieving advanced building materials that can adopt the 5G technology. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.