8 building trends you can't ignore in 2021-22

Have you ever completed a renovation or new construction and are now planning something again? Then you will notice that the construction world has not been sitting still. Sustainability, for example, is indispensable. And contractors use innovative technologies such as drones to (re)build your home as well and quickly as possible. These are 8 building trends you can't ignore in 2021-22.

#1 Get rid of that gas and create an energy-efficient homeIn more than 40 years all homes in the Texas, United States must be free of gas. Partly because of this, the central heating boiler is making way for an energy-efficient heat pump in more and more homes this year. But a heat pump only pays if the house is well insulated, in other words: work to be done! The energy-efficient – ​​or even energy-neutral – home is, therefore, the #1 building trend of 2021-22.

Did you know that Zbranek & Holt Custom Homes offers an Energy Performance Guarantee? In this way, the contractor guarantees the promised energy savings for a maximum of 10 years after delivery.

#2 Homes are getting smarter
Homes are getting smarter, says Steve Zbranek of Austin Custom Home Builder , an innovative contractor that is fully committed to making homes energy-neutral. Zbranek: You can monitor everything better and better these days. For example, from work, you can check how your heat pump or solar panels are doing. Do you notice a problem? Then we take a look and call in a service technician who immediately knows what to do.

Another intelligent solution: smart heating. Zbranek: Such a smart radiator detects whether people are present and automatically ensures that it gets warmer. And you can bring every room to a different temperature, even remotely. So you always come home to a warm nest.

#3 Keeping it cool (and dry)Hot summers and heavy rain showers: the weather in the Texas, United States is becoming increasingly extreme. Since the sweltering summer of 2020, the Austin contractor has been receiving more questions from people who want to make their homes heat-resistant. Zbranek: 'We see, for example, that roof overhangs are becoming more popular. These roofs protrude a bit and partially cover the facade, giving you more shade. In addition, I notice that there is more demand for water pumps that can also cool. To cope with heavy rainfall, more and more people are also opting for gutters with higher edges or an extra downspout.'

#4 Roof inspections with drones and other smart tricksDrones with cameras are great toys for adults and incredibly useful in construction. Contractors use them to properly map out construction sites. Or, as Zbranek explains, to inspect roofs: 'That means we don't have to do breakneck antics on ladders anymore.'

And are we secretly looking a little further into the future than 2021-22? Then we see construction workers with smart construction helmets. Such a smart helmet analyzes brain waves and gives a signal when the wearer is too tired for a job. Meanwhile, his or her smart work shoes detect gas leaks and high temperatures. These kinds of wearable technologies are making construction work increasingly safe.

#5 Everything in prefab thanks to 3D scansAttachments, extensions, facades, roofs, and even entire bathrooms: they increasingly come completely from the factory, predicts Steve Zbranek. Contractors are faced with staff shortages. If you have these things made prefab, it saves a lot of work and you are ready faster.

3D scanning technology plays a major role in prefab construction, explains Zbranek: With a 3D laser scan you can very quickly measure a house down to the millimeter. Based on these measurements, the prefab facades and roofs are made in factories. Those scans also help us enormously in making accurate construction drawings.

#6 Space travel and bacteria do wonders for your homeSpecial materials are on the rise in construction. Self-healing cement, for example, is an invention of TU Delft. Adding limestone-producing bacteria makes the cement last much longer. Zbranek also sees special developments in the field of insulation: 'Think of foils that are used in the aerospace industry. That stuff is super thin and therefore perfect if you have limited space.'

#7 In addition to the construction drawing, you can also print partsIn May 2021-22, the world's first commercial 3D-printed building will be opened in Austin, Texas. At present, 3D printing in construction is still in its infancy, but experts expect it to be widely used within a few years. For example for concrete elements and complex shapes.

#8 Journalists, bank employees, and robots at work in constructionWill you be drinking coffee with the men and women who are building or renovating your house in 2021-22? Then you may notice that your conservatory is being built by a former journalist or bank employee. 'Due to the shortages in the construction industry, contractors are increasingly using lateral entrants,' explains Zbranek. In addition to lateral entrants, his company also employs refugees from Iraq and Syria, among others.

Another unstoppable trend in construction: robotization. Repetitive tasks such as laying bricks, milling, and bricklaying walls will increasingly be performed by robots in the future. They are fast and accurate, but a lot less pleasant during the coffee break.