Keeping up with the latest material trends is crucial for creating innovative and sustainable buildings. Technological advancements, environmental considerations, and shifting consumer preferences have resulted in the emergence of new materials and techniques that are to redefine the construction industry.
During the recent edition of the Philippine Building and Construction Expo (Philbex) and Travel and Leisure Expo (TLex), one of the highlights are the trends in the building, construction, and interior design sectors. What do these exhibitors have in common? The same old yet effective, affordable, and quality materials which the market has been adapting also because of their sustainability even in times of disasters.
Dennis Mayo, architect of Architechnologies Philippines, said engineers are now fond of using a technology called “Archicad”, an authoring design software primarily used by architects and building information modeling (BIM) managers that has a reputation for being user-friendly, comprehensive tools, an extensive library, and continuous development to design buildings.
“If you're familiar with the workflow of 2D, 3D, this one is beyond 2D and 3D because your model now just contains data quantification; you can do an environmental analysis, you can even do a life cycle, you know how long your building will last or its facilities, (and) how much is it going to cost to maintain,” Mayo explained.
Mayo said by starting your engineering and design plans through this technology, sustainability can be achieved.
“So it's become an international standard. A few years back, they say it's like the future, but it is now. And quite frankly, we are a bit lagging behind [here in the Philippines]. That's why we have been promoting Archichad extensively and comprehensively,” Mayo said.
Meanwhile, Jerry Sison, manager of Homemax Solutions, a company specializing in high-quality building accessories, including doors, windows, kitchens, said that the carrara, a white statuary marble design, leads the trends for building construction materials.
“[The trending materials for construction are] mostly porcelain and rustic. In Manila, the stock is usually running out. I don’t know if it’s the same in Davao,” Sison said.
He added porcelain and rustic materials can also be used as they are known for their durability.
For Breezway Louvres sales and marketing in-charge Davie Lorenzo, he said that jalousie glass never goes out of style, but there is a “breakthrough” type of this material that can withstand typhoons and other disasters.
He added this is very well-known in houses built in valleys or valle verde areas.
“This is not your typical jalousie window, it can withstand up to signal number five of a typhoon. So since we are a typhoon country, this is a perfect product, as well as we are a tropical country, Our ventilation rates of our products are amazing too, and are effective everywhere, not just for the buildings and houses,” Lorenzo said.
As the construction industry continues to evolve, keeping abreast of the latest trends in construction materials is essential for architects, builders, and developers.