Photo by Hybrid Studio
Our homes, where we go at the end of each day, are safe spaces—crafted and designed to reflect feelings of solitude, refuge, and respite. The past few years have seen a heightened awareness of the importance of our living spaces, prompting shifts in architectural design preferences—from sleek and minimalistic to eclectic and vibrant. As we step into 2024, we’re intrigued by the emerging architectural trends that could shape the structures and skylines of the future. For more inside insight on the topic, we talked with the co-founders of Unfold Architecture, Mike Gray and Greg Vose, about their architectural trend predictions for the year ahead.
Sustainability
Photo by Hybrid Studio
We predict homeowners will increasingly move away from natural gas and toward an all-electric lifestyle. Geothermal, induction cooktops, electric/water vapor fireplaces, and EV chargers are all becoming more favorable. PV (photovoltaic) solar panels, if not included from day one, are almost always prewired for future installation. -MG & GV
Comfort
Photo by Hybrid Studio
Homes are being built to higher standards year over year. Continuous exterior insulation and triple pane windows are two strategies we strive to include on every project. Insulating the wall cavity as normal—with the addition of continuous exterior insulation—provides tighter, more comfortable homes that require far less energy to operate. -MG & GV
Planning
Photo by Hybrid Studio
While connectivity between kitchen and living spaces has become increasingly more “open” in recent years, we see dining and lounge spaces becoming more defined from one another. Rooms like dens, lounges, music studios, and studies are being reintroduced to the main level living areas to reinvent some of the cozier, more intimate feelings from traditional homes with partitions between each room. -MG & GV
Color
Photo by Spacecrafting
Within the home, we’re seeing a trend toward bolder use of color throughout—not solely in a fun powder bath or basement wet bar backsplash. New creative wallpaper designs, “color drenching” spaces, and bold tile choices have all piqued client interests recently. -MG & GV
Aging in Place
Photo by Hybrid Studio
Homeowners who are building an architecturally significant home want to ensure the space will adapt to their lifestyle as they grow older. We strive to design wider corridors and doorways to accommodate wheelchairs as a standard, but we’re also increasingly planning for future elevators by stacking a series of temporary closets. Should the need for an elevator come later, stacked closets can quickly be converted into an elevator shaft. -MG & GV
