Five Key Trends Shaping the Future of Architectural Services Market

The number of global conglomerates, mega-corporations and regional businesses expanding has been colossal, with huge labour forces being employed. This has snowballed into expensive real estate in prime areas. Rental office spaces were one of the solutions, given zoning restrictions it is a challenge for the architects to design a suitable space with maximum possible occupancy while complying with the regional laws.

The global architecture market is worth $359.9 Billion as of 2022 with a phenomenal CAGR of 4.8% with major contributions from the industrial sector. The rise in the construction sector by default creates a demand for architectural services. The ESG route has created new trends in sustainable architecture with eco-friendly measures in mind.

Saving Planet Earth

With threats of climate change looming over all of us, architects have taken a different approach to how they design structures. They are designing with eco-friendly measures in place, Renewable energy accommodation, carbon footprint consciousness and many more. They use environmentally friendly materials in the construction phase wherever possible.

"The limitation of resources is forcing stakeholders and designers to create new paths of innovation in response,"

"These include new design techniques and operational technologies that contribute to the reduction of net-carbon emissions throughout the life-cycle of each project, together with advances in ecologically sound materials and sustainable construction practices," says Bidisha Sinha, Associate Director, Zaha Hadid Architects.

Reduced Open Floor Plan

The advent of the pandemic stressed the importance of closed places and adequate spacing an individual must be given. Open floor plans were always not considered due to the high energy they consumed and lack of privacy, pandemic reaffirmed the belief that open floor plans were indeed outdated and privacy concerns were more addressed.

The trimming of open floor plans was not only physical, but it also does wonders for one’s mental health. It creates spaces which divide work, leisure and break activities. This is already successful in large corporations and scale-down versions are being considered at budget-level funding.

3D Printed Structures

3D Printing may sound like an old term, but its limitless possibilities are creating new trends as we speak. 3D printing upon its inception could only print small structures made of plastic which could only fit on one’s palms after hours of printing.

But the evolution of semiconductor chips, electrical power machines and new hardware scaled what was once a hobbyist’s equipment into a mammoth device that can print out buildings. Raw construction materials are input into the printer with suitable instructions programmed into it, it can build buildings from the bottom up while retaining structural appeal and integrity. This can be considered a revolutionary aspect as it drastically reduces the costs and manpower required to build a structure from scratch. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Indoor Outdoor Relationship

The Indoor and Outdoor elements of the structure being blended are artistic touches that a building can be given. This creates a serene illusion where one can enjoy the outdoors by being indoors. Lining the outer walls of the building with sliding glass doors and windows showing the exterior garden is a good touch. This was previously used for mansions/villas with a backyard, but with large shared office spaces, this too has become a trend.

Minimalism

Minimalism is a trend that has gained traction over the years owing to people’s attempts to steer away from the distraction of the digital world. People are increasingly conscious of how the material world is influencing them. Minimalist/minimalism is a popular hashtag on social media where people fill their living space with bare minimum articles essential to living well. It’s a common trend for people living alone to adopt this lifestyle. This enables them to cut costs on unwanted commodities and simultaneously live a healthy and disciplined lifestyle.

Architecture is an interesting field that merges art, engineering, technology and various fields. Innovation in even a single field will contribute to the growth of everything under its umbrella. It is only limited by the imagination of the individual. From the ancient Pyramids to the Burj Khalifa, Just when we think we have peaked, we come up with new marvels.