UNI and Futurly join hands to bring you the best of both worlds!

For the last four years, UNI has been an active platform contributing to the generation of innovative ideas and inspiration in architecture and design. With over 400 global competitions executed with remarkable participation and many brilliant projects from students, professionals, and academicians alike, we are proud to have built a community of 200,000+ architects, designers, thinkers, and innovators. 

UNI keeps trying to expand the boundaries and conventions of architectural and design thinking by introducing issues of all scales, relating to present-day challenges, historic concerns, and possibilities of the future. Through various means apart from design—such as writing, illustration, visualization, photography, 3D printing, and so much more, we try to incorporate the multitude of skills and sensibilities that form a part of architecture and design. The rich repository of design ideas that we have received so far, is a testament to the importance of the present generations in impacting the future of the industry. We sincerely hope that, ultimately, such innovations and developments shall, in turn, contribute to building a better world.  

“The future is always beginning now” - Mark Strand

As we strive to weave together the past, present, and future of architecture, we at UNI try to stay abreast of the latest developments in the discipline. The mission of catering to the present times, learning from the past, and preparing for the future, is what drives our decisions. Some of our successful collaborations with some contemporary, leading organizations have allowed us to witness the youth force in design. 

We believe it is time to take this forward and venture into an opportunity to merge the latest demands of the industry with UNI’s founding principles. 

As the profession becomes more and more reliant on digital technologies, designers are increasingly acquiring and polishing their 3D software skills. Practices like 3D visualizations and walkthroughs, animations, digital architecture, and parametric design have all become a significant part of the present industry. 

With this change in architectural and design representation, and with the transition of the process of design thinking from pencil-paper to screens and polygons, we are in the midst of a wave of change, and we must ride it.  

In that light, we are immensely delighted to announce a collaboration with Futurly - a global education platform for architects and designers. It is a vibrant community fueled by courses, workshops, and events. ‘Futurly’, much like its name, provides courses that address the latest technological trends in design, that serve as a bridge toward the future. 

What is Futurly about? 

Today, mind-bending and previously-unimagined structures are possible to envision and build, thanks to the digital tools at hand. Futurly provides educational courses in software widely used by architects, like Autodesk Maya, Blender, Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, Blender & Sverchok, and Houdini, among others, along with other exciting masterclasses in subjects like polygonal modeling and computational design. One can learn how to create fluid or parametric architecture, and much more, by learning different modeling techniques (like NURBS and procedural modeling), simulation and visualization tools, and various rendering and editing methods from the expert tutors at Futurly. The mentors are an eclectic group of international experts, and the resources at Futurly are constantly expanding to meet new challenges. They are soon offering a course that can help designers build in the Metaverse!

The catch is that the courses at Futurly focus on the application of these tools in architectural design, which is one of the reasons why this partnership promises to be of great mutual value. Just as UNI provides a special Institutional Access feature for universities, Futurly offers exclusive discounts to educational institutions and educators. This goes to show both the platforms’ commitment to knowledge-sharing. Upon the completion of their mostly 90-days courses, Futurly provides an equal period of access to a Discord support community, so the early birds aren’t left on their own so soon. 

Simply put, a Futurly+ membership can function as the Netflix of the above courses. You don’t have to buy each course separately, but with a single annual membership, you get access to multiple state-of-the-art courses. So you can freely choose what skill to learn and when. 

What does this partnership bring for you? 

We begin this association with a pilot joint-membership program, for a limited period. Under this, along with a UNI membership, you also receive an annual membership of Futurly, both at a price of $200! 

We intend to test the waters and look forward to a response from the community and designers worldwide, eager to join the bandwagon and learn new-world skills. 

What are the pros of this combination? 

Fu sion ha! 

This, we believe, is a complementary union, which can enhance the benefits of both platforms. Much like the fusion technique. (Cheers to DBZ fans in the house!) The reason is: The skills you learn at Futurly, you can test and practice at UNI. The vast range of competition briefs at UNI would serve as your playfield of opportunities to put the skills to use in a context, and use them to create solutions for a defined set of issues. Moreover, you would have unlimited free access to all challenges, with your membership.

By participating in competitions at UNI you can compete with international peers and simultaneously gain exposure to newer ideas and techniques from designers worldwide. Additionally, one gets to be a part of a wider community of like-minded creatives, and create an environment of mutual support and information exchange. 

This venture is one of our attempts to keep up with these exciting times in this creative world. 

Jim Moran famously said,

“The Future belongs to those who prepare for it.” 

In this case, ‘Futurly’ can belong to you, if you’re prepared for it. So the question is, are you?