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AIA Releases Home Design Survey Results

The survey suggests the residential design market has not hit rock bottom.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 12/26/2006 12:00:00 AM

Community-based design is on the rise, according the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey from the third quarter of 2006. The survey suggests homeowners are seeking developments with greater accessibility options.

“Encouraging clustered retail development with a multitude of services around public transportation and dense residential units has been part of an overall strategy by architects and public officials to foster more vital and healthy communities,” says AIA chief economist, Kermit Baker. The trend is also due to escalating energy costs and a desire for urban living, the report adds.

AIA housing committee chair Katherine Austin notes mixed-use developments, which can often be navigated without a car, are also environmentally-friendly and convenient.

Homeowners, the report continues, show a desire for more areas allotted to open space and recreation; smaller lots; upscale entryways; front porches; and homes set closer to the street, which generates more neighborhood interaction.

Due to evidence of a decline in billing and inquiries, the report says, virtually all new residential construction sectors appear to be on the downward slope—though home renovation jobs remain “very strong.”

Visit the AIA for complete survey results.