Construction workers across the globe will know that the last year has been a turbulent one. Thankfully, however, after the first season of lockdown we have witnessed a year of reemergence and growth, with much work being able to continue safely despite the strict lockdown regulations.

As a result of all that’s happened over the past year, the way the construction industry does business has changed; from scheduling and closing projects, to hiring workers to meeting with clients. And as the industry becomes more competitive and the market shifts, we believe it is vital for us to harness the value of these new construction trends by keeping up to speed and a part of the conversation. 

So, let’s take a look at the construction industry trends of 2021 in light of our recent season of pandemic. 

Green building

As it stands, many sustainable and eco-friendly construction features remain a luxury, despite their long-term savings. However, this has been forecasted to change greatly over the next decade as things like ecotech and sustainable construction become increasingly more mainstream.

For example, greenscaping (outfitting rooftops with plant coverings and small parks) is now commonplace in urban centers around the globe, seen most recently in Google’s new multi-tiered London HQ. The developers of this project, have called the building a “landscraper” – a building with similar dimensions to a skyscraper but build horizontally rather than vertically, enabling large greenscapes to cover the structure while also improving its resistance to high-powered storms driven by climate change.

We don’t think it will be long until these green building practices become increasingly commonplace in residential projects, especially since awareness of the sustainability crisis appears to have increased greatly over the last year or so as we’ve all had more time to reflect and educate ourselves on the ecological impact of our daily decisions. 

Residential projects

Large-scale projects have been slowing down in recent months, with many big construction corporations, like Skanska, favouring lower-risk contracts, such as residential jobs. Part of the reason for this, we believe is due to the increased demand for apartment blocks to be developed that advertise a “work from home” space as part of their appeal. 

Within the UK at least, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “Build Build Build” agenda is set to push a radical reform of building and land, so that it can change use without requiring planning. This will help to give more construction projects the green light in the years to come. 

Need for labourers

One of the most noticeable construction trends of the past few years is a vast increase in the demand for labour. According to a Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) report released early last month, 216,800 extra construction workers are needed by 2025 to meet the UK’s building needs and climate obligations. 

And this need is no less felt than within our own company. We’re a growing team and are always on the lookout for the best individuals within our industry to come work for us.  When you work at Rollo, it’s more than just a job. We love our work and we’re bound together by our core values. Our values are our roadmap on how we treat each other, our customers, and our service. If this resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. 

Join the Rollo team.

Next steps

2021 continues to show promise for the construction industry and while we may have to adopt new working practices and in some cases, even new areas of expertise, we at Rollo hope to set an example of what it looks like for construction sectors to band together and plan well in order to help the industry to remain a strong one.

Get in touch with our expert team at Rollo Developments today. Email info@rollodevelopments.com or call 0131 210 0074 to book your appointment or for any questions or queries.