2022 Predictions for Residential Construction Industry
By: Gene Eidelman
Tags: WFH, Construction, Environment, Adu, 3D Printing

This past year has been a year of recovery for many parts of the economy. After the pandemic had halted business-as-usual for so many lives and industries in 2020, bounce back was predictable. Yet, as we step into 2022, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant makes the outlook for the year ahead a little less predictable. However, some changes are inevitable, and some trends in the residential construction industry seem well-positioned to proceed.

1)There will continue to be a need to build much more housing.

Supply chain problems and the price volatility of building materials, as well as labor shortages, will continue to challenge the construction industry, already known for its inability to forecast building schedules and budgets accurately. The U.S. will need 1 million new construction workers over just the next two years. Not nearly enough young workers are choosing to enter this career field to replace the current aging and tiring construction labor workforce. Additionally, limitations to immigration also prevent new potential construction employees from helping alleviate the labor scarcity. It’s going to be incumbent on all builders to do more with less in 2022 and beyond.

2) Modular construction will help to offset losses in productivity.

Building with modular construction methods will provide creative and scalable solutions to our current traditional building practices. By constructing buildings in a controlled factory environment, builders can unlock consistently superior quality combined with faster timelines.

3) Emerging technologies will play a pivotal role in material procurement and construction.

3-D printing is rapidly moving beyond the proof-of-concept stage in a wide variety of industries and applications. Innovations into the chemistry and composition of alternative building materials will produce more robust, lighter, decarbonized, and ideally integrated with recycled materials. The construction industry’s evolution from traditional methods to building with robotics, 3D printing, and intelligent project management tools will drastically improve efficiency and safety while ushering in a new generation of workers attuned to these advancements.

4) Climate change will continue to accelerate.

Buildings account for 28 percent of global greenhouse emissions. Another 11 percent of global emissions are attributable to the carbon in traditional building materials and the construction processes. Moving forward, building types of all kinds will need to reduce their energy and water usage by integrating renewable sources. More and more communities will demand carbon-neutral, sustainable, and equitable solutions for infrastructure, new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse.

5) Working-From-Home will continue to play a significant part in how people work and live.

While Working-From-Home had already been a growing trend in recent years, the pandemic helped to accelerate the transition to it for almost all workers. And while many people still miss certain parts of being in the office with their colleagues, many more people have embraced Working-From-Home as both a necessity and their preference. The impact of this change has yet to be fully observed and understood; we now know that WFH is here to stay for many people. But even after more than a year and a half of working from home, many people still work from their dining room table, making it hard to avoid distractions, particularly if you’re sharing space with a roommate, significant other, spouse, or children. There will be an increasing demand for backyard offices to find focus, hold a video conference call without distractions, and be as productive as their employers embracing WFH policies will need. Finding a workable solution at home will be essential for many in 2022 and beyond.