The Architecture and Construction industry has been on the rise for the past few years with businesses bouncing back from the recession. While business is expected to calm down from the initial excitement, 2018 is still expected to be another promising year!
According to a survey conducted by Building Design + Construction in November 2017, 60% of the 356 architects, engineers, and contractors they surveyed expect 2018 to be a “very good” or “excellent” year for business. We can also look forward to new, innovative buildings and structures and emerging technology that will soon revolutionize the construction process for a faster, safer and all around more efficient delivery.
Here are 3 reasons why 2018 is a great year for Architecture and Construction.
-
New Constructions That Will Make History
There are several, highly anticipated buildings that will either begin or complete construction this year. This includes buildings like the 3 World Trade Center in New York. Another building that will be finished that people are excited about is World One, a residential skyscraper that will be the tallest residential tower in the world.
There has also been a lot of news about the Istanbul New Airport that will have the worlds largest terminal. FabriTec has its own airport project in the works at the Atlanta International Airport. FabriTec will be installing two large, air-supported ETFE canopies as part of their $6 Billion Expansion project. In addition to the Atlanta project, 2018 will be an especially good year for FabriTec because we will be announcing a lineup of high-profile projects that we are scheduled to begin in the next year or two.
-
Further Integration With New Technologies
Technology continues to change the way we work as well as the way we live our day-to-day lives. In the age of technology, companies are learning how to utilize emerging advanced technology to work faster and more efficiently. Although computers could never take the critical jobs that Architects and Engineers do, newer technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and droids are being realized for their potential as valuable tools for the planning, design, and construction phases; and in the distant future, we can expect them to evolve into the new standard.
In 2018, we will see an increase in A/E/C firms are using technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to design and engineer new constructions.
Another innovation is the use of 3D printing to both prevent and solve errors in the design and engineering phases, but it can and has also been used for the construction phase. Drones can also be used to quickly and efficiently survey sites that would otherwise be very difficult or even dangerous to examine up close.
-
Renovation Instead of Demolition
There is a continuous push for low-energy buildings and a shift in focus towards renovation and preservation. A fascinating trend in green construction is the increased interest in repurposing old buildings instead of demolishing them for new constructions. According to the president-elect of the Architects’ Council of Europe, Georg Pendl, “The tendency to renovate is becoming stronger and stronger[…]if the structure itself is good enough to make a renovation, then they’d rather keep it.”
A recent study by the U.S. Green Building Council predicted that by 2018, green construction would total more than 3.3 million jobs in the United States and generate $190.3 billion in labor wages.
If you are wanting to build green, fabric structures can be a great contribution to a sustainable design. A FabriTec tensile membrane structure can contribute to a higher Leadership of Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) rating in the daylighting, innovative design, and reduced and recyclable usage categories.
Sources:
https://blog.capterra.com/2018-construction-industry-trends-heres-what-to-expect/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_in_architecture
http://www.cnn.com/style/article/most-anticipated-buildings-2018/index.html