Architecture is an industry that is usually predicated on trends. What works for a previous year may soon be considered as old or passé for the next one. The trends are usually based on people’s preferences which are dictated by the environment and the developments of various situation all over the world.

Here are some of the trends that we are seeing for this year:

Buildings to continue going GREEN:

The world has now become much more environmentally conscious. Every country has seemed to intensify their efforts to protect the environment. This effort has even spread to the way that people build their homes and offices.

For this year, we can expect that more and more architects would try to incorporate a green design. This means that they would begin using eco-friendly materials for their buildings as well as make provisions for installing systems that could help conserve waste and make efficient use of natural resources.

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Because of this we can expect more and more architectural projects to start utilizing things such as solar panels for energy, and filtration systems for storms. We could also see designs that are more compatible with natural ventilation as well as environmental light.

Some would even go to the distance of working around the natural environment instead of the traditional bulldoze everything and build on top.

Minimalist design:

Another trend that we can foresee for the year would be the rise of minimalist designs. Previously, the trend was for people to have glamorous and grandiose designs for their buildings, everything seemed to signify large and in your face aesthetics. However, people seem to be opting more towards minimized designs this year.

We can expect to have smaller scale homes with interior designs that are more focused on very little embellishments, natural finishes, and clean lines.

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Maximizing space constraints

Related to the minimalist design, an architectural trend nowadays would be to have multi-purpose spaces instead of a 1 room 1 purpose construction. We can now see guest rooms doubling as play areas or music rooms depending on the need or the situation.

This would be further enhanced by furniture that would do double duties such as couches that can convert to beds, coffee tables that can expand to become a dining table, or beds that would have storage options.

Automated systems:

Lastly, we feel that architectural design would now begin to feature more automated systems. The trend of lowered costs for automation and increased technical capability can lead to systems such as temperature, lighting, electronics, and even security, to become controllable via an application on a mobile phone or tablet. There are even some technologies which would automate adjustments based on the habits of the users.

Of course, it would be good to note that these are just trends when it comes to a building’s architecture and interior design. The actual outputs would still be dependent on the vision of the architects who would be designing the projects as well as the clients who would be actually utilizing what they have built.

Stella Harper is an architect who plans to have a burgeoning career in designing luxury homes. She mentions that she idolizes the architectural works of Steven Heyer, and uses his works as an inspiration when it’s time to come up with her own designs for her numerous clients.