Construction and the building trades are some of the oldest professions in the world.
In the past decade or so though, we’ve seen more change in practices and building trends than in many previous centuries.
How then, do you keep up with the best way to build? Use this five-part guide to learn some of the hottest and most impactful trends in commercial building.
1. Sustainability
Sustainability has been a major buzzword in the construction industry for the past decade. It’s only going to become more important as time goes on.
Consumers are demanding structures made from renewable materials. They also want the buildings themselves to be more durable, energy efficient, and to take advantage of things like natural lighting and shading.
Public awareness of environmental issues has never been higher. Having your buildings conform to the newest and best sustainable standards provides you with both good press and cost savings.
2. Prefabrication and Modular Design
For many construction projects, it’s becoming more efficient to prefabricate some or all of the structures and assemble on site. This is due to the savings in time, money, and material investment.
When structures are built in a factory setting it’s easier to maintain consistent quality control. You also benefit from bulk pricing on building materials and economies of scale in construction.
For many building projects, a modular or prefabricated design is the way to go.
3. Adaptation and Reuse
A major trend recently has been the adaptation of older structures for new uses. We’ve all seen the old warehouses and factories of decades past being converted into exclusive living and retail spaces. By positioning yourself as an expert in this field you stand to benefit from significant demand.
Reduce, reuse, recycle is rapidly becoming a way of life for modern consumers. Putting yourself in a position to provide them with a major way to reuse existing structures is a great way to embody this.
4. Technological Integration
Internet of things devices are becoming more and more ubiquitous, with researchers predicting more than 30 billion connected devices by 2020. Buildings now have to be designed with this in mind.
There is no place anymore for lower quality fiber optics and broadband cabling. Structures should be built with the fastest and best quality connectivity available.
5. Rising Costs
It’s an unfortunate reality that costs are only going to keep increasing. This includes both materials costs and the cost of labor.
Everything from raw materials such as lumber and hardware to services like commercial painting or wiring is being affected. Labor shortages in the construction industry only compound this issue.
With the world economy reaching new highs it’s becoming more difficult to find quality employees without paying a premium. This affects the cost of all other aspects of construction.
Now more than ever it’s important to make your company as lean as possible. By constantly trying to reduce costs and improve your margin, you make it much easier to survive changes in the market.
Building Trends That Last
All of the major building trends today come down to one thing, consumers want quality. Instead of focusing on fleeting fads of design you should try and build with long-term needs in mind.
If you would like to learn more about our changing culture and desires, check out more interesting articles.
