Earlier this week, AIA released the results of its Q3 Home Design Trends Survey. I always look forward to this quarterly survey because it’s interesting and important to see where the design trends are moving. I found it interesting that the results from this survey showed that more homeowners want their homes in urban settings, and they want them to ‘participate’ in the urban setting. By participate, I mean, homeowners want the homes to feel a part of the urban setting – not just exist in the setting. For example, 57 percent of respondents said porches are an important aspect to this trend.
The aspect of the survey results that homeowners want the homes to be one with the urban setting is most interesting to me. It makes sense that homeowners would want the home to take in its surroundings, not just exist in it. And isn’t this one of the main goals of an architect and designer? Almost every conversation I have with an architect or designer about a project includes them telling me how they made the home fit into it’s surroundings. So maybe the results of this survey show that homeowners are moving to this perspective. Maybe they see the importance of surroundings, and not just building a nice home.
If homeowners gain a similar perspective that architects and designers have about designing a project, I would guess that change will help the process of creating the project. It’s difficult when you know that a home needs to be designed a certain way and the homeowner doesn’t understand what you’re trying to accomplish.
Some architects/designers say that homeowners are more educated on the home designing process, while others say there is a steep learning curve. This most likely just comes down to each individual client – some will understand and some won’t. But maybe the results of this survey show that more homeowners are understanding the importance of surroundings in regards to design.
Do you see homeowners becoming more educated on the importance of surroundings? Share your thoughts by adding a comment, or send me an e-mail.