Architectural giant Perkins+Will recently surveyed its staff of 1,500 design pros to forcast hot trends in the AEC field for 2014. The resulting Design + Insights Survey reflects a global perspective, influenced by the firm's active international projects.
Trend 1: Design + Resiliency
Robin Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal/Sustainable Healthcare Design Leader, labels Superstorm Sandy "a critical wake-up call." The report predicts that designers will pay more attention to creating work that accounts for the possiblity of natural disasters. Preparedness will be integrated with community-based design responses to impacts such as earthquakes, tornados, floods, and drought.
Trend 2: Design + Sustainability
Health aspects of building materials, as well as reduction in water use and adaptation to climate change, will be strong focuses in green design. The report characterizes material health as "the number one concern for 2014" among all sustainability issues.
Trend 3: Design + Active Design
Employee health and wellness will be increasingly central to design, the firm predicts. The intention to accommodate more movement opportunities in projects will have to overcome the fact that some clients do not see this as a high priority, particularly in workplace design. Nevertheless, "There are some alarming statistics that indicate movement throughout the day—or the lack of it—is part of a new frontier in predicting health outcomes," according to Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal/Global Interior Design Leader.
Trend 4: Design + Multigenerational Workplaces
A mix of age groups will continue to force change in workplace culture, collaboration, and research, according to the report. Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Generation Xers often have very different ideas about what constitutes a productive and effective workplace. Millennials (1980-2000) prioritize tools and technologies, whereas Boomers (1946-1964) place a strong emphasis on a supportive culture. "Design [should address] the diverse workstyles emerging as a result of the generational shift underway," says Frederick J. Schmidt, IIDA, LEED AP, Managing Principal/Global Corporate Interiors Practice Chair.
Trend 5: Design + Technology
Modeling, collaboration, and mobile technologies will dramatically influence better design processes, the report predicts. Current key focuses include energy modeling and environmental analysis; project- and information-management applications; remote collaboration/communications technologies; and smartphones/tablets that enable mobility. Important emerging technologies include free and publicly available data sets, ubiquitous remote sensing, and rapid application development.
Related Stories
Architects | Feb 17, 2023
Architect of the Capitol fired by President Biden after strong bipartisan criticism
Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was let go this week following alleged abuse of authority, misuse of government property, and wasted taxpayer money.
High-rise Construction | Feb 15, 2023
Bjarke Ingels' 'leaning towers' concept wins Qianhai Prisma Towers design competition
A pair of sloped high-rises—a 300-meter residential tower and a 250-meter office tower—highlight the Qianhai Prisma Towers development in Qianhai, Shenzhen, China. BIG recently won the design competition for the project.
Senior Living Design | Feb 15, 2023
Passive House affordable senior housing project opens in Boston
Work on Phase Three C of The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony, a 55-apartment midrise building in Boston that stands out for its use of Passive House design principles, was recently completed. Designed by The Architectural Team (TAT), the four-story structure was informed throughout by Passive House principles and standards.
Designers | Feb 13, 2023
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers Establishes Diversity Advancement Scholarship Fund
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, a design firm specializing in the rehabilitation of building exteriors, contributed $25,000 to fund the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship, administered through the Connecticut Architecture Foundation. The fund provides scholarships for students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups who are seeking degrees in architecture or engineering.
Office Buildings | Feb 12, 2023
Smyrna Ready Mix’s new office HQ mimics the patterns in the company’s onsite stone quarry
Designed by EOA Architects to showcase various concrete processes and applications, Smyrna Ready Mix's new office headquarters features vertical layering that mimics the patterns in the company’s stone quarry, located on the opposite end of the campus site. The building’s glass and concrete bands are meant to mirror the quarry’s natural contours and striations.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 11, 2023
8 Gold and Platinum multifamily projects from the NAHB's BALA Awards
This year's top BALA multifamily winners showcase leading design trends, judged by eight industry professionals from across the country.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 10, 2023
Dallas to get a 19-story, 351-unit residential high-rise
In Dallas, work has begun on a new multifamily high-rise called The Oliver. The 19-story, 351-unit apartment building will be located within The Central, a 27-acre mixed-use development near the Knox/Henderson neighborhood north of downtown Dallas.
Sustainability | Feb 9, 2023
New guide for planning, designing, and operating onsite water reuse systems
The Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan water think tank, has released guidance for developers to plan, design, and operate onsite water reuse systems. The Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience advances circular, localized approaches to managing water that reduce a site’s water footprint, improve its resilience to water shortage or other disruptions, and provide benefits for local communities and regional water systems.
Office Buildings | Feb 9, 2023
Post-Covid Manhattan office market rebound gaining momentum
Office workers in Manhattan continue to return to their workplaces in sufficient numbers for many of their employers to maintain or expand their footprint in the city, according to a survey of more than 140 major Manhattan office employers conducted in January by The Partnership for New York City.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
