A new study put out by Chaos Group reveals how recent trends are affecting the architecture industry and offers insight into some of the potential changes we can expect for 2018. Based on feedback from 5,769 industry professionals, the study found, overall, the biggest change in architecture in the past 3 years to be the industry's increased reliance on recently introduced technology like BIM and VR. 70% of those surveyed for the study cited increased reliance on technology as the industry's biggest shift, greatly surpassing the previously cited demand for sustainable design.

The study also reported that we can expect to see this continued growth in 2018. Over two-thirds of architecture and architectural visualization professionals plan to use VR next year; 28% already are, with another 28% currently experimenting. Additionally, of the adopters, 80% are using the technology on multiple projects, suggesting that VR is playing a more significant role in company workflows. 

The demand for cloud rendering is also expected to increase significantly next year, with the study finding substantial potential for growth—233% by mid-year, and up to 367% by the end of 2018. Right now, the majority remains in-house, though 34% of participants currently use external render farms and cloud services to complete their projects. While security is a discussion point for firms, cost is the largest barrier for cloud rendering adoption at this point, though that is expected to fall in upcoming years.