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Date: 21 January 2025

Author: David Penman

As we reflect on 2024 and look forward in 2025, the architecture industry in the UK is undergoing an exciting evolution with several positive trends expected. From sustainability to modern, technologically driven design, the trends for this year are influenced by both environmental concerns and the desire to create more adaptable and functional layout designs.

With MSP Capital supporting property professionals on the front line of property development and refurbishment projects, we need to ensure we understand the opportunities and challenges faced by our customers.

In this article we cover some of the key areas in architecture trends likely to be at the forefront of people’s minds this year, with expert opinion and insights from Senior Urban Designer & Architect, Antonia Morgan from Boyle & Summers.   

Why do property developers need to pay attention to architectural trends?

Although architects are involved in the majority of property projects, the trends that influence their decision-making are crucial for property developers to understand. Getting the design right in newly built or refurbished homes can significantly increase the value and appeal. Staying informed can also help developers differentiate themselves to attract premium buyers and even investors, reduce costs with clever designs as well as future-proof their properties for decades to come.

In this article we cover some of the key areas in architecture trends likely to be at the forefront of people’s minds this year, with expert opinion and insights from Senior Urban Designer & Architect, Antonia Morgan from Boyle & Summers.

Here we share four key architectural trends that developers should keep a watchful eye on in 2025: 

Biophilic Design

Expected to be a defining architecture trend in 2025, biophilic design is a method that attempts to connect people more closely with nature in their living environment. Research has shown this to have a positive impact on people’s mental health and overall well-being.

Under this design approach, key elements include introducing more greenery into the living space, optimising for more natural light over artificial light and incorporating water features. With modern living now more encouraging of a healthier lifestyle, it’s an attractive feature for many potential occupants.

Antonia comments, “Ensuring that everyone in the community has the opportunity to access nature sustainably and safely is important. Providing these opportunities helps wildlife to thrive, makes people happier and assists in integrating communities.”

Furthermore, exterior green spaces that can be conveniently accessed by walkers and cyclists, or that provide safe green corridors for commuters, naturally result in declining use of cars.

Some concepts that have grown in popularity over recent years are: 

  • Green roofs – as well as providing an ideal habitat for birds and insects, these aesthetically pleasing landscapes can reduce stress and increase productivity.  
  • Daylighting – maximising natural light will of course reduce the need for artificial light, and our energy needs. But homebuyers will also benefit directly via their human circadian rhythms, which is the natural physical, mental and behavioural changes during the 24-hour day. With our brains being highly sensitive to daylight, our bodies will operate in a more optimised fashion reducing fatigue and drowsiness as well as reducing the chances of developing various medical conditions (e.g. obesity and diabetes) and psychological conditions (e.g. depression and seasonal affective disorder). 
  • Water features – implementation challenges aside, incorporating water features is a great way to lift a property’s appeal and make it more attractive to a potential buyer. Furthermore, the sight and sound of water has a positive effect on our bodies with increased blood flow and inducing feeling of calm and relaxation.

At MSP Capital we are no stranger to organic life with plants throughout our office suites, meeting and communal areas. We also installed a ‘living wall’ in one of our main meeting rooms, in the form of a moss branded feature – becoming a popular photo backdrop!

MSP Green wall

 

Adaptive Reuse Projects

The continued shift towards reuse and regeneration is expected to continue and likely gain momentum in 2025. As a key way to not only preserve the historic fabric of UK towns and cities, but to also reduce waste, developers are being encouraged to repurpose existing buildings rather than demolishing them. 

This trend directly aligns with sustainability goals as it’s highly effective at minimising the impact of construction work and thus reducing the environmental impact of the project. Examples include converting old mill houses into residential units, or vacant office spaces in to co-living facilities with community hubs and working spaces. 

It’s a great way of mixing modern interior design with historic architecture that makes such properties unique and appealing to a wide range of buyers. 

Antonia believes the pandemic has brought more urgency and attention to this area of development as she states, “Redevelopment of towns is also becoming more of an immediate necessity, a growing issue particularly since the start of the pandemic. We’ve seen such a shift to online retail and a lowered desire to go out at night…”

Sustainable Design 

It comes as no surprise, given all the media talk about net-zero carbon targets, that sustainability is continuing to be a driving factor in architecture and developments in 2025. Sustainability is becoming an integral part of residential property design and development process to help support ambitious government targets, with increasing pressure put on architects and developers to adopt new eco-friendly approaches. 

Developers will need to consider their usual construction methods and how they can reduce and minimise their carbon footprint. For example, where can more sustainable materials be used such as reclaimed wood, recycled steel and low-carbon concrete. 

However, besides the obvious environmental benefits to using sustainable practices, there are some key areas that are likely to directly benefit developers through these changes. Architects will be more focussed on energy efficiency during the design process, with elements such as: solar panels, battery storage systems, triple-glazed windows, natural lighting optimisation and advanced insulation becoming more commonplace. 

This all adds to the appeal of the finished property to the typical buyer. Having become more educated in the subject of sustainability in many aspects of their lives, they are poised to look to reduce their energy consumption while at the same time a more modern and comfortable living space that tends to come with it.  

Regarding the awareness of the public with sustainability, Antonia comments, “I think people, communities, are becoming more aware of the effects of existing unsustainable development and places. This is being recognised in a range of situations such as the impacts of the frequent flooding that we’re experiencing across the UK, and also in heightened crime rates across all demographics.”

Modular Construction 

As an effective way to reduce build time, improve cost-efficiencies and reduce the environmental impact, modular construction and prefabrication as set to play a significant role in 2025. 

It’s a particularly attractive construction method to developers given the desirable effect of reduced build costs and simplification of the process. By using prefabricated panels and modular sections, developers can be more streamlined with their processes and plan more effectively, with the added ability to adapt more easily should market demand shift. 

Furthermore, this would also improve consistency with finish standards whereby the construction element is processed and quality checked off-site, and in the same way each time, ready to effectively be bolted on at the site. 

Antonia accepts there are key advantages to this practice, “There are definitely a lot of advantages – integration with BIM, less waste/time/resources and streamlining construction methods means buildings can be more adaptable/interchangeable.”

Expert Opinion

Having Antonia as a guest on a recent MSP Capital sponsored podcast, we invited her to share her viewpoints and insights in to what she is seeing at the forefront of architecture as we move in to 2025. 

We asked Antonia several questions to delve into the key areas in a little more depth.

How do you see sustainability evolving in UK architecture by 2025?

“I think people and communities are becoming more aware of the effects of existing unsustainable development and places. This is being recognised in a range of situations, such as the impacts of the frequent flooding that we’re experiencing across the UK and also in heightened crime rates in many locations. 

These issues are not something that can be solved in just one year but there are certain things being actioned such as tightened planning law to prevent grant of permission for development within flood zones, and collaborations between designers and action groups such as Make Space for Girls. 

There is a growing awareness that sustainability is not just about types of construction materials, or the type of energy being used or produced, but actually in the way that we live too: healthy living streets, safe walkable neighbourhoods, architecture that works for the modern day to day living and interactive spaces.

I therefore think that sustainability will continue to evolve through strengthening dialogues around the landscape and society, between communities and professionals in the built environment.”

What are the key challenges architects will face in meeting the UK’s building regulations and sustainability targets by 2025?

“I think cost and intended tenure plays a large factor in any design. Not only the upfront costs that developers face in trying to achieve these targets but also the forecasted cost of the property as a result of this. 

Property prices are already largely unaffordable against the average UK income and therefore whilst regulations need to be met; targets may become more desirable than feasible. To attempt to overcome these challenges, the Architect needs to ensure that designs are as sustainable as possible from the outset; starting with building orientation, space layout, intended use, adaptability and maximising the capture and use of passive natural light and energy.”

How do you see UK architecture evolving in 2025 to maximise space and optimise urban and residential layouts, particularly in high-density areas?

“The pandemic accelerated hugely the need for everyone to have some private workspace in their homes. Whether in a 1-bed apartment or a 5-bed house, there really needs to be space for all those living in the property, to work from home. 

Whilst some make-do with make-shift spaces, for good mental health, workspaces and home life need to be kept separate. Commuting to a workplace every day, especially with the offer of global connectivity, may not be necessary, and having the choice to sometimes work locally can help in reducing our carbon footprint. 

A solution to this issue, coupled with the need to keep developments at high-density, could be to offer communal workspaces. These could be separate buildings or integrated within apartment blocks. 

Community co-housing is also another option to reduce space; communities share garages/equipment/cleaning equipment and cars to reduce the need for individual and excessive storage space. They also share gardens and chickens/plants etc whilst having just a small patio area of their own.”

How do you anticipate adaptive reuse, and the regeneration of older buildings will evolve in the UK by 2025?

“I think there needs to be a focus on highstreets and towns here. Redevelopment of towns is becoming more of an immediate necessity, a growing issue particularly since the start of the pandemic. 

We’ve seen such a shift to online retail and a lowered desire to go out at night (brought on by restrictions during lockdowns and resultant habitual changes), that the local high street now needs a complete rethink. People still want to interact and integrate and there is perhaps an opportunity for more social activities, arts and crafts, interactive experiences to reignite the high street.

Redevelopment or conversion projects can be very exciting, maintaining a nod to heritage and the character of an area, whilst reinvigorating spaces. This allows history and the modern day to fuse and can also allow for areas to become revitalised with the offer of apartments, office space or communal/arts space that would otherwise not be available.”

How do you see biophilic design evolving in the UK by 2025?

“Celebrating and enhancing the surrounding natural landscape – providing access to it, not just for cycling and walking but to play in, observe nature and maintain edible landscapes. Ensuring that everyone in the community has the opportunity to access nature sustainably and safely. 

Providing these opportunities helps wildlife to thrive, makes people happier and assists in integrating communities. Green spaces that can be conveniently accessed by walkers and cyclists, and that provide safe green corridors for commuters, naturally result in declining use of cars. 

As awareness of our responsibility to look after the natural environment grows, so does our understanding of how beneficial natural spaces and green and blue eco-systems are to our health. We’re likely to see more initiatives to engage communities with the landscape such as bringing the outdoors in, green walls, green pocket spaces, urban landscaping interventions, community gardens etc.”

What are your thoughts on the future of modular and prefabricated construction in the UK?

“A careful consideration to modular and prefabricated construction is whether it is a robust and sustainable approach. There are definitely a lot of advantages – integration with BIM, less waste/time/resources and streamlining construction methods means buildings can be more adaptable/interchangeable. 

There could be concerns however, that such modular construction could lack character and bring too much uniformity to a development. It is definitely something to develop further however, and as it may become more mainstream there is opportunity for diversity in finish, scale and massing, alongside finesse to the technical aspects. It may also encourage more housebuilding and more self-builds.”

What role do you think technology, such as AI and BIM (Building Information Modelling), will play in shaping architectural design by 2025?

“I think BIM is very useful in allowing Architects to work with more accurate and detailed models, allowing for innovation and feasibility to be tested at the modelling stage, continuing to further streamline the design process and allow for effective collaborations with other consultants and engineers. 

As the use of BIM continues to grow, so will the access to construction details, products and information, further supporting creativity and bespoke yet feasible design.

AI should support architects and urban designers in visualizing feasible design concepts. It can also provide information on present or future constraints such as environmental factors: flooding, prevailing weather systems, energy consumption techniques etc. It should also help to automate repetitive tasks and collaborative work with other consultants and engineers, to allow designers to focus more on innovation, and know that they have the technological support to do so.”

Conclusion

With current economic instabilities and the ongoing need to be adaptive, developers must adopt new methods that allow them to be flexible whilst also giving them confidence in their future project plans.

Overall, these architecture trends expected in 2025 provide developers a clear idea of the direction the industry is taking from both a design and build perspective. Being proactive will help developers ensure they are delivering residential spaces that remain attractive to modern buyers and enable them to meet government guidelines in the future.

Talk to an MSP Expert

With 40 years’ experience in the property finance and development industry, we’ve supported our clients through many changes and enabled them to continue delivering on their projects.

If you’re a developer looking for funding on your next residential project, then why not get in touch. With no obligation to follow up, you’ll likely gain something from our expertise whatever the financial challenge you face.

Contact us directly on 01202 743400 or [email protected]

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