Things move so quickly in the architectural field that it is easy to miss breakthroughs. There were many in 2018, whether it was for commercial architecture, homes, public buildings or materials. Here we look at some of the ones that you may have missed.

Ecology on the agenda

Last year was one where architecture and ecology really came together. It felt like attitudes were changing and it was no longer a tedious technical or legal requirement. Architects were looking to push for better green standards. This culminated in a number of projects where real thought had gone into sustainability. The Bloomberg Headquarters in London winning the Stirling Prize and being the most sustainable office in the world was a big highlight.

Social housing

In Britain attitudes towards social housing are always in flux. Last year though, there was real effort to encourage more local authorities to take part. The government chose to abolish their Housing Revenue Account cap, allowing councils to borrow to invest in housing. They can now be far more proactive and meet the needs of locals.

China’s creativity

For many years the US was one of the main hotspots for cutting edge architecture. In the last few years though there has been a shift. China is now home to some of the most creative architects in the world. In 2018 the projects became more and more diverse as well as increasing in sophistication. The US on the other hand has stagnated to some extent.

Modernising traditionalism

While many people love traditional architecture, there are others that claim it holds to the past too hard. There is a misconception that all architects who stick to tradition are old and dusty. In 2018 though, a younger crowd emerged. Their work is still traditional but is more accessible. It is also being increasing applied to resolving current problems.

A floating university

For several months in 2018 Tempelhof Airport in Berlin was home to the Floating University. The makeshift structures included bridges and an auditorium. The project looked at building in an uncertain future where more sites may be extreme. It also explored urban development. It is easily one of the most impressive projects of 2018.

There are far more examples of commercial architecture, homes and public buildings from 2018 that pushed new boundaries. Architects can learn from all of them and look to shape the future in a positive way. If you want to talk about a project, speak to Coffey Architects.