Construction Trends 

The building industry has taken several major hits in the last few years — COVID shutdowns followed by labor and supply shortages, the ongoing climate crisis and economic changes are just a few — and because of that, it’s an interesting area to look at for trends. People innovate when they need to problem solve, and each of these setbacks has brought forth exciting new advances in construction. 

In regard to the labor shortages, a surprising new statistic has shown that due to recruitment campaigns targeting women, there has been more than a 50% jump in females taking construction roles over the past decade. Companies are seeing this upward trend and are offering fundamental changes that make these roles more attractive to female workers, like paid parental leave and more flexible hours. The pay gap between men and women also tends to be smaller in construction than in other private sectors. 

Another trend we’re seeing is a lot of new, innovative materials being tested. New materials are always being researched, and right now it’s not just from an aesthetic or performance standpoint, but in direct response to supply shortages, high construction costs and the need for more sustainable building practices. This is an area we take special note of as part of the team that specifies the materials and helps bring new options into visibility for our clients. Some materials to be on the lookout for in the next couple of years are bamboo, cross-laminated timber, insect infested timber, hempcrete, 3D-printed materials, light transmitting concrete (many advancements in concrete) and algae. This is just a snapshot of the hundreds of materials being explored right now, but we are excited about the possibilities of reinventing some that have been used for centuries, like concrete, or materials that sound more unusual, like algae. 

Technology is playing a big hand in advancing many of these new materials, especially insect infested timber. On its own, this product poses a huge problem as many of our forests are being infested by beetles and it would typically render the lumber unsuitable for building because it compromises its structural integrity. Billions of ash trees have been affected, and New-York based HANNAH has developed a robotic device that processes the ash lumber back into a viable building material. Construction is one of the largest producers of solid waste worldwide, so anything we can do to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose should be a priority. 

Like pretty much every industry, construction is seeing many trends related to technology. In addition to the advancements that are aiding in material development, AI is being used to help with supply chain inventory and management to increase efficiencies; robots are being used in education and efficiency on site, aiding in manual tasks to help reduce injuries; and cloud-based software is speeding up communication and keeping information in an easy-to-access location for all team members involved in a project. 

We’re looking forward to seeing these advancements continue and playing our role by incorporating them into the built environment. Time will tell how many of these trends continue to gain traction, but the need for change is creating many opportunities to move forward in new ways.

Christina Johnson is creative director of Phoenix- and San Francisco-based Private Label International, a full-service interior design studio that develops hospitality environments and lifestyle brand experiences for clients worldwide.

Photo courtesy of Private Label International