4 Trends Shaping the Future of Residential Design

The explosion of the housing market, aging population and dampened economic growth forecast are defining the next surge of architectural trends in residential design. Our lives today have impacted the design of our residences, and this has created some unique trends in architecture and design. 

Open-Plan Spaces

Open-plan spaces are geared towards connectivity and interaction. It caters to the growing trend of home interaction, as people are spending more time entertaining without leaving the house. It shows a desire of people to be more connected to their family and friends. Main rooms become communal activity areas, with many different things going on all at once.

Furthermore, ambiguous space layouts give residents the freedom to working with large, minimalistic home designs that customize spaces to their own.

Multi-Generational Homes

Real estate prices are rising much faster than wages, and more and more families are finding it hard to afford to live and save for a first home. Also, seniors are finding it difficult fitting into the housing ladder. This situation is giving rise to multi-generational homes, where more than one generation lives under the same roof for an extended period of time.  Also, friends can share a house so as to afford real estate in a desirable area.

Home Offices

Today's employees have a pile of technological advancements availed to them allowing them to work from home, naturally giving rise to a preference for a home office area. In addition, loss of jobs has forced residents to find better ways to progress their career from their homes rather than an office. Emerging technologies have given rise to small businesses that conveniently favor working from home. Renting a downtown office just doesn't make sense. Meetings can be held at the coffee shop next door.

Sustainable Homes

There is an expanding adoption of energy-conscious products like controlled ventilation systems and solar panels. The home of the future is self-sufficient – either a self-contained unit able to produce its own power, or part of a community that shares resources at a local level.

Efficiency is being put into the design of homes and the products used to construct them, with recent technological advancements enabling these two aspects of architecture to interact better than ever before.

Emphasis is being put on the importance of renewable and low-maintenance materials as well as materials and products that allow for new ways to design, which include new glass and glazing technologies.