More home offices, enhanced task lighting, and three-season porches were the most requested features by clients according to architects working on custom home and renovation products.
The survey by the American Institute ofArchitects polled 425 architects in July and found that 68% of respondents’ clients want home offices, 62% are asking for spaces that connect to outdoor living, and 45% request flex spaces. As for specific products, 27% more clients asked for devices that improve air quality. Low maintenance products and smart thermostats round out the top three product requests.
“I won’t say it was unexpected,” said Kermit Baker, the organization’s chief economist and a senior research fellow at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. “I’d say surprising in the sense that the pandemic response was happening faster than we might have expected.”
To see a chart of the most popular requests …