Building Trends to Know for 2021

A new year means new trends and 2021 is no different. With COVID, the rise in remote work and remote school, a mass movement towards sustainability and green energy, and the desire for open, outdoor spaces for social distance hang out, 2020 is ushering in a new era of building and design for both residential and commercial projects. 

We’ve been keeping our ear to the ground, talking with our clients, and consulting with other industry experts to gather this list of building trends for 2021 that you should know.

Commercial Building Trends

Social Distancing

The era of COVID may have an inevitable end, but the effects of how it will continue to shape our social and professional interactions will last for generations to come. With this in mind, commercial buildings will need to keep social distancing and touchless transactions in mind. From wider aisles, cough-proof desks, and social distancing conference rooms, modern buildings will have to contend with the 6-foot rule. 

With this in mind, the office spaces of the past with their cramped desk space and closed conference rooms will likely need to adapt in order to help attract new tenants and keep up with current needs and safety regulations. 

In-person + Telecommuting Hybrids

The way we do business, from retail to services to white collar work, everything has changed. Not every company will be able to stay 100% remote and the need for more spacious and accommodating office space means the new buildings will have to strike a balance between comfortable and spacious. 

The future of modern office spaces will likely include spaces for collaboration that meet social distancing needs as well as the ability to incorporate multiple in-person and virtual team members. 

Modular building

From small spaces to entire hotels, modular construction has been gaining popularity around the world. Modular construction involves large parts of the structure being built off-site and being transported to the building site to be arranged and connected to other modules to create a completed building. This method is attractive because it not only cuts costs but it often shortens the overall construction timeline. 

A good example of modular construction? Marriot is set to open the world’s tallest modular hotel in 2021. The 26-story, 360 foot tall hotel is set to go up in New York City and take a total of 90 days to be built and constructed. 

Sustainability

In our last blog post, we talked a lot about sustainability and green energy in construction. It’s a trend that’s gaining more and more momentum and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. With local, state, and federal rules and regulations around sustainability and the increasing number of rebates, loans, and benefits builders and owners get from building with sustainability in mind, it’s a win-win to ensure your next project meets green energy and sustainability requirements. 

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Residential Building Trends

Redefining the Home Office

Did your home get smaller during the pandemic or was it just ours? With more and more families staying home for both school and work, the needs for more space is skyrocketing.
With little to no definition between work, home, and school, consumers are starting to demand spaces built with compartmentalization in mind. Designs and structures that allow the separation or zoning of different areas in the house for different purposes are becoming more in demand. 

An Emphasis on the outdoors

Social distancing is kind of hard to do in a living room and while big parties may not be happening much right now, the need to see and socialize with friends and family hasn’t gone anywhere.

An increase in demand for outdoor seating areas, expanded decks, terraces, and an eye for landscaping are all coming from the need to have safe, outdoor spaces where families and friends can still get together and socialize.

Sustainability

Green energy and sustainability design have come a long way for both commercial and residential design and building. Creating homes that work more with their natural surroundings, include drought-resistant zero-scaping or a focus on native plants, and energy saving appliances are just some of the trends to think about for your next project.

Biophilia and the love of nature has weaved its way into construction and design all around the world and is finally making waves in the US. Designing your home to work within and be a part of the landscape on which it stands is becoming an increasingly in demand trend. Where once it was popular for your home to stand out, now it’s the desire for a home to blend in with its surroundings that’s capturing the heart of designers and homeowners alike. 

Are any of these trends things you’re already thinking about for your next projects? Need some more inspiration? Talk to one of our experts about your Central Texas/Wimberly-based projects.