Three trends for 2023: What will bring about real change?
A new year means a chance to turn over a new leaf, and our industry’s outsized environmental impact gives us much to address.
Already one month into the new year, it can seem little has changed from the last besides the date on the calendar; life continues, and old habits, bad practices and outdated ideas persist. We turned to three architects and urbanists driving change in their respective fields, to ask: What are the trends that will have the most impact in 2023?
From sustainable materials and nature-based solutions, to transformations and responsible resourcefulness, it is clear the future is bright if we embrace the technology and innovation available to us.
Lois Suh, Senior Associate, Architecture
"With 2023 underway, there are positive market indicators that rising energy prices and interest rates are starting to moderate, and high inflation in material and labor costs beginning to temper. Last year, we experienced market uncertainty and rising global temperatures. While these pose challenges in our practice, it has also raised an acute awareness of the need for responsible and sustainable built environments globally. More clients have an appetite for high-performing buildings with a minimal carbon footprint that makes significantly less contribution to the environmental burden and climate changes we face. This will mean more integration of renewable energy and conscientious material selection such as mass timber structures."
"According to the AIA (American Institute of Architects) construction forecaster published this month, we may expect less growth in more typical residential and office typologies as an aftermath of the pandemic and ongoing financial unrest. However, this also means that there are exciting opportunities for newly rising typologies, especially as we see programmatic trends and shifts in wellness and education, as well as the growing demand for e-commerce with more focus on distribution rather than traditional retail. We may also see a demand for more cultural, recreational, and institutional projects with a focus on community building and outdoor access for occupants.
As we learned from the successful completion of Uppsala Town Hall, and recent competition wins, more projects with a focus on reconstruction, adaptive reuse, and building additions will be a major focus for the coming year. The transformation of existing structures without large amounts of carbon emission that a new construction project typically contributes is the future."
Sofia Lundeholm, Associate Design Director, Urbanism
"The coming year will be all about quality over quantity. We must build better to be confident that the buildings and spaces are needed, loved, and used for generations to come.
In 2022, data and a knowledge-based approach became more important than ever, as a response to extreme global challenges. In 2023, the data-driven approach will continue to expand but we will increasingly discuss the craftmanship of our profession. AI is evolving rapidly and when computers are better than humans at answering complex questions, our role is to become even more human. How does the spaces we design make us feel? How are they rooted in their community and context? These questions have always been at the core of our profession but the value of getting the nuances right will increase, as a generic response can be given with the touch of a button."
