By Stephanie Welch Alexander
Chances are, if you've been in the construction industry for awhile, you remember when hot tubs and whirlpool spas were a luxury addition to homes -- requested or afforded by only a handful of elite homeowners. Today, however, you'll find that those same items are considered necessities instead of part of a wish list.
By keeping ahead of the trends in home design and construction, you can create a value-added building or remodeling experience for your customer, and add to your overall profit potential.
Here, we've gathered some of the hottest current and future trends in design and construction:
Healthy Homeowner, Healthy Earth
"Green building" and "healthy homes" are practically catchphrases in today's building industry. These two areas often overlap - with healthy home materials also being kinder and gentler to the surrounding environment. Green and healthy building usually take into consideration lot preparation and design, resource effienciency (techniques that optimize use of building materials, as well as waste management), energy and water efficiency and indoor environmental quality and comfort (including moisture management and ventilation).
Keeping Up with the Boomers
Retirement-ready building (universal design) is so hot, even the National Association of Home Builders has gotten in on the act, offering certifications to Aging-in-Place specialists (CAPS). These pros - usually remodelers - are trained to modify homes to increase safety, access and maneuverability (adjustable countertop heights; indoor elevators) to baby boomers with an eye toward future livability, or who want to care for aging parents in their homes.
Upscale Utilitarian
Once homeowners have settled into a new space, they often wish for abundant storage -- and today's savvy buyers want the utilitarian spaces of a home to look as stylish as possible (including the garage). Organizational systems are must-haves, but today's upscale storage is often tailored to fit certain hobbies and is augmented by appliances, special floor and wall coverings, and durable - yet attractive - materials. Today's closets are often configured during the building stage, featuring high-end cabinetry. Even laundry rooms are attractive workspaces that also offer a little extra work space for crafts or hobbies.
Beyond Four Walls
Outdoor rooms started becoming popular a few years ago, and today continue to grow in popularity as a much-desired home feature. Not only do outdoor rooms complement the idea of eco-friendly building by allowing one living space to flow into another (indoor to outdoor), they're also a way to build on today's open, flexible floor plans that allow living spaces to be re-configured to fit modern lifestyles. Today, good design and construction reflects the modern family's desire to live in and enjoy all the living space of a home.
Storm-Safe Housing Design
In the wake of millions of dollars worth of damage, engineers are quickly trying to catch up with the demand for storm-resistant designs and fortified home products. Many homeowners are requesting special storm rooms (rated for level 5 hurricane and tornado protection), fire protection systems and Smart Home systems that allow them to manage and control home systems from anywhere in the world. Power generators, stone-coated steel roofing and the use of flood-preventing landscape design will be seen more often in new construction within the next few years.
Adaptive Reuse
Think of an adaptive reuse as an architecture hot rod - the inside has been modernized and may find a new use, yet the historic features have been retained. This could mean that a beautiful brick building that once housed a bank can become a condo or cooking school, a storage warehouse can become a hot new sushi bar, a church might become a spa and retreat, or a factory might be used as a fine arts gallery. Adaptive reuse breathes new life into commercial structures and can revitalize areas that have seen better days.
Prefab Goes Fabulous
Prefabricated housing has gotten a bad rap for too long. Gone are the days of inexpensive - and somewhat bland - modular homes. Today's prefab means contemporary glass and steel structures created by cutting-edge architects and construction pros. (Even homeowners who prefer a more traditional appearance might be astounded to find that prefab walls are frequently used to create a custom fit with the foundation.) Prefab offers a way to control construction costs while retaining style - and the result is high design within reach of the average homeowner. In 2007, indicators predict that shipments of prefabricated housing will become an $11.8 billion industry.
Helpful Resources:
NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines
(free download to industry professionals)
AARP's Universal Design
Partnership for Advancing Technology Housing
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