Ephemeral Bubble by MAD Architects, completed in 2024 in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture. Photo: Zhu Yumeng.

Happy New Year! As we conclude Archinect's 2024 Year in Review highlights, we turn our attention to the fresh possibilities of 2025. 

We asked our community of architects, designers, landscape architects, academics, AEC economists, industry experts, preservation advocates, and architectural photographers to share their predictions and insights for the year ahead in just a few sentences.

Business conditions at architecture firms have been weak for two years now. However, recent trends point to a modest improvement for 2025, including the stabilization of billings at firms in recent months, increased inquiries from potential clients for future projects, and the bottoming out of the downturn in commercial property values nationally.


Kermit Baker
AIA Chief Economist

As Chief Economist of the American Institute of Architects, Kermit Baker's position ensures a comprehensive understanding of trends affecting architecture firms; his expertise in analyzing economic conditions within the architecture industry makes him a trusted voice on business performance; his role provides a unique perspective on the intersection of economic shifts and architectural practice.

2025 will be the first of four years that need to be taken as a totality. During the four years of Trump’s presidency, architects will need to get their shit together in order to be ready on day one of the new term to speak with a united voice on how the federal, state, and local governments must approach building on 2029… one year before many cities have promised to cut carbon emissions by half.


Peggy Deamer
Yale School of Architecture Professor Emerita

As a prominent academic and advocate for architectural labor rights, Peggy Deamer's perspective is grounded in a deep understanding of the profession’s social and political responsibilities; her extensive experience in both teaching and activism positions her as a compelling voice for the architectural community’s role in addressing urgent climate and policy challenges.

In 2025, I expect the most ignorant challenges to diversity initiatives to be elevated by those who long for the days of segregation and sustained by those too cowardly to hold their ground on the most rudimentary of issues. On the other hand, I also expect the arguments for diversity to be more and more precise. In 2025, I see advocates acknowledging that diversity and inclusion are the byproduct of justice and equity. That diversity is a goal only met through the deliberate challenge and shifts to pedagogy, policy, procedures and practice. That, ultimately, faith without works is dead.


Bryan Lee Jr
Incoming NOMA President, Colloqate Design Director

As the incoming President of the National Organization of Minority Architects and a leading advocate for social justice in architecture, Bryan Lee Jr's experience in addressing systemic inequities makes him a powerful voice on the necessity of justice and equity; his leadership and advocacy challenge the profession to approach diversity as an outcome of meaningful and deliberate change in policy and practice.

It is my hope that in times of increased polarization, architects will rise to the challenge of producing works that are rooted in a spirit of togetherness, that we realize the interconnectedness of questions of “sustainability,” and that instead of being silenced into nonaction by the challenges around us, that we work to imagine new forms from perspectives that pose different questions to our paradigms.


Sumayya Vally
Counterspace Principal

As the founding principal of Counterspace and an internationally celebrated architect, Sumayya Vally's work is deeply rooted in exploring cultural narratives and fostering inclusivity; her visionary approach to architecture as a tool for social cohesion and sustainability positions her as a leading voice in addressing the industry’s role in a polarized world.

This will be the year when the industry takes a holistic approach to sustainability, beginning by using what already exists. Adaptive reuse is the answer.


Omar Gandhi
Omar Gandhi Architects Principal

As a renowned architect known for his thoughtful and context-sensitive designs, Omar Gandhi's perspective carries weight due to his expertise in integrating sustainability with architectural innovation; his advocacy for adaptive reuse reflects a deep commitment to environmentally responsible practices and practical solutions within the industry.

Nascent bipartisan housing reforms are unlikely to bear fruit in the near term while rising construction costs — exacerbated by tariffs, labor unavailability, and continued efforts to boost resiliency due to climate events — can expect the country to fall further behind on housing supply.


Sheela Jivan
Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley Associate Director

As a housing policy expert at UC Berkeley, Sheela Jivan's insights are grounded in extensive research and analysis of housing economics and policy reform; her expertise in addressing the intersection of construction challenges and legislative developments makes her perspective especially valuable in understanding the complexities of the housing crisis.

I predict a fundamental shift from focusing on the design of end products to designing processes, systems, and workflows as a means to tackle some of the most challenging problems of our time. These include: reducing the carbon footprint of how we build, tackling affordable housing, climate adaptation and environmental resilience, and unpacking the latent potentials of artificial intelligence.


Joseph Choma
FAU School of Architecture Director, Design Topology Lab Director

As the Florida Atlantic University School of Architecture Director and a pioneering researcher at the intersection of architecture and technology, Joseph Choma's expertise in computational design and innovative workflows positions him as a thought leader; his forward-looking approach to addressing global challenges through systems and processes makes his insights particularly valuable in shaping the future of the profession.

The urgency of the triple planetary crisis will continue to drive the material agenda in 2025, with re-use, low carbon, biogenic, and geogenic in hyper-focus. 2025 will see heightened interest in off-site biodiversity impacts of construction products and the emergence of a certification system for ecologically responsible wood from no-clearcut continuous cover forests.


Martha Lewis
Henning Larsen Head of Materials

As Head of Materials at Henning Larsen, Martha Lewis's expertise lies in advancing sustainable material practices in architecture; her work ensures a forward-thinking approach to ecological responsibility and innovation.

Recent years have seen a renaissance in the preservation field as the cultural, climate, and economic benefits of this work have become more visible to practitioners in other fields, and to the general public. I think 2025 will be a year where we see more expansive, creative, and diverse approaches to preservation as these projects continue to succeed and inspire people to engage with history in new ways.


Brent Leggs
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Executive Director

As Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, Senior Vice President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and a leader in historic preservation, Brent Leggs's expertise bridges cultural heritage, economic development, and community engagement; his work has brought national attention to preservation’s broader social and cultural impacts, making his insights on its evolving role highly influential.

As I explore in my new book, GREATNESS: Diverse Designers of Architecture, I predict that in 2025, the architecture community will continue to innovate proactive and resilient strategies to advance a more inclusive and just profession. This progress will persist despite challenges from societal shifts aiming to curb DEI initiatives, ensuring that diversity enriches every layer of our built environment.


Pascale Sablan
NOMA President 2023-2024, Adjaye Associates NYC CEO

As NOMA President, award-winning architect, and founder of Beyond the Built Environment, Pascale Sablan's dedication to promoting diversity and equity in architecture places her as a leading advocate for a more inclusive profession; her work and new book underscore her authority on advancing DEI initiatives and their transformative impact on the built environment.

While recent news of the Fed cutting back on the number of rate cuts anticipated next year has perhaps dimmed some expectations, we still anticipate an economy that positively affects architecture, engineering, and construction firms. With rates continuing to decrease, albeit more slowly, this will ideally help spur construction, particularly in the residential sector. Ideally, this translates to more work for architects and a better-performing industry economy.


Phillip Ross
Anchin AEC Partner

As a financial strategist with deep expertise in architecture, engineering, and construction markets, Phillip Ross's analysis is highly relevant for understanding the economic factors impacting these industries; his insights into interest rate trends and their effects on residential construction offer valuable guidance for professionals navigating market shifts.

There will be an increased application of low-embodied carbon materials in buildings, along with changes in building codes and policies at the state and local levels to incentivize the use of materials that store carbon, such as timber.


Judith Sheine
University of Oregon Professor, TallWood Design Institute Design Director

As a professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon and Director of Design for the TallWood Design Institute, Judith Sheine's expertise in sustainable architecture and material innovation makes her a trusted authority on the adoption of low-embodied carbon materials; her research in this area positions her as an influential voice on the intersection of design, policy, and environmental impact.

In 2025, resilience and adaptability will be the name of the game in landscape architecture. We will continue to see an increase in clients, architects, developers, and planners asking landscape architects to design solutions for extreme heat, flooding, carbon sequestration, and multi-use infrastructure that strengthens and protects our communities.


Torey Carter-Conneen
ASLA CEO

As the CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Torey Carter-Conneen's leadership provides a comprehensive view of industry trends and challenges; his expertise in guiding the profession toward innovative, resilient solutions makes him a key voice on the critical role of landscape architecture in addressing climate and community needs.

For me, 2025 will be a pivotal year for architectural photography. The big conversation in 2024 was about AI and wether or not architectural photography will survive. The more we talked about it and the more images that looked like renderings were showing up on social media, the more I saw architects and designers actually asking me to do images that are raw, real, and with minimal photoshop work. The discovery of the imperfect is what connects us as humans, and in the face of the idealism of AI, of that perfect and completely devoid of soul visual, something really triggered photographers and architects to go back in time.


Ema Peter
Architectural Photographer

As a renowned architectural photographer, Ema Peter's expertise lies in capturing the essence and authenticity of built environments; her insights into the evolving role of photography in the face of AI advancements reflect her deep understanding of the industry’s artistic and human connections, positioning her as a key voice in preserving the soul of architectural imagery.

Most contractors have been exceedingly busy post-pandemic, sustaining healthy backlog and navigating America's massive skilled construction worker shortages. In 2025, disparities in performance between contractors are set to widen as those associated with megaprojects, including manufacturing facilities, data centers, and infrastructure, remain in high demand. Meanwhile, many contractors in weaker commercial real estate segments are poised to suffer their most unfavorable year post-pandemic.


Anirban Basu
ABC Chief Economist

As Chief Economist of Associated Builders and Contractors, Anirban Basu's role involves analyzing and forecasting industry trends, making his insights highly credible; extensive experience in economic analysis ensures a deep understanding of construction market dynamics; recognized authority in the field offers a valuable perspective on workforce challenges and sector performance.

We want to hear from you, dear readers: Let us know in the comments what you think, predict, or hope for this year!