A set of reports by the AIA show an expected increase in spending on non-residential design for 2016 and 2017, as well as an emergence of more sustainable building technologies.

Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt (EGWW) Federal Building Modernization; Portland, Oregon / SERA Architects with Cutler Anderson Architects. Image © Nic Lehoux

A set of reports by the AIA show an expected increase in spending on non-residential design for 2016 and 2017, as well as an emergence of more sustainable building technologies.?Emerging technologies are becoming the dominant force in how buildings are being designed,? said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. ?Buildings in their own right are becoming far more energy efficient, and certain technologies are increasing both the efficiency of the people using the buildings and the project delivery methods in which buildings are being designed and constructed.?Some of the top trends in the next ten years for nonresidential design include an increasing prevalence of water conservation, and solar or wind power generation; more specified innovative building materials, such as composites or new glazing technology; and increase use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software to increase the efficiency of building design.The non-residential market also saw growth in 2015, with particular demand for hotels, offices, manufacturing facilities and recreation spaces continuing into 2016. The AIA?s semi-annual Consensus Constr...