6 Trends That Will Shape the Future of Architecture

The world has changed so much since the first buildings were built. With rapid urbanisation and new technologies emerging almost every day, we are now looking at a year filled with architecture trends that’s expected to shape the future of architecture:

We already know that putting together any structure should follow the long process of doing a measured building survey, projecting them into 3D BIM models and eventually, working on the construction itself. But there are instances when design interventions need to be done right away, especially when they concern traffic and safety.

It is where tactical urbanism was born, the process of implementing temporary interventions using low-cost materials and a lot of creativity.

You’ve seen this through colourful pedestrian plazas, bright road signs and pop-up bike lanes that allow for immediate change without having to go through the process of permissions, clearances, and construction.

These days, architecture isn’t just limited to the collaboration between engineers, contractors and architects. Probably the most significant 2021 trend in the field is collaboration and that means getting people from outside the industry involved in the design and building process.

For instance, an environmental scientist or geologist could be tapped to help interpret data from as built 2d AutoCAD drawings, especially for sites that have historical, environmental and geological significance.

These collaborations are already deemed as a necessity to keep up with the increasing structural demands for buildings.

Designing for accessibility is now being followed by a lot of countries including the United Kingdom. But the full extent of this concept is yet to be maximised by taking into account everyone who needs accessibility.

It is where inclusive architecture comes in where persons with visual impairment, sensorial loss, reduced mobility, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and even members of the LGBTQ+ are considered. Buildings will be designed carefully with the help of technologies like Birmingham measured survey.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live and work. It also showed people a new sense of appreciation for well-designed living spaces that incorporate good interior and exterior design.

In fact, the demand for outdoor living spaces has skyrocketed with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic because homeowners now want to make their homes more than just a place they live and work in but also a space that they can really bond with their family and reconnect with nature without having to go out.

With the rapid rate of urbanisation, people are now looking for new ways to grow their own gardens even without having their own yard.

Vertical farming is now a huge architectural trend, especially with skyrise greenery where architects are now incorporating vertical gardens into skyrise rooftops, walls and even interior facades.

This concept has become increasingly popular over the years, especially with the grow-your-own-food movement that’s been happening around the world today.

In fact, it is expected that by 2026, the global urban farming market will already reach $288 billion. This is made even more popular with the “farm-to-table” concept that’s been increasingly promoted in cities.

One of the biggest architecture trends this year would have to be residential living spaces designed specifically according to the homeowner’s age, lifestyle and economic status.
This is modeled after the concept of “sharing economy” or “collaborative consumption” that has greatly influenced the real estate market over the last few years.
The internet of spaces now considers the specific needs of homeowners when creating structures and they are made to be transformable as the homeowners grow and their needs change.

These architecture trends are just some of the things that will surely shape the future of the industry over the next few years.

But while there has been so much change in the way buildings are designed and created, tried and tested methods like 3D laser scanning still form the foundation of effective design and construction.

The combination of both the old and new is what makes architecture continuously exciting even after all the evolution it has gone through.