Architecture Today (According to the Numbers)

Your Vision, Brought to Life

Architecture goes beyond design or technique and creates the world we know. In many ways, it’s the foundation of the spaces we access each day. As both the outcome and the process of imagining a new structure, it can be hard to sum up in a few words, which is why there’s so much power in visuals. Architecture is as much an art as a science, requiring skill to show a project’s concept and potential effectively. But with continuous competition for project bids and an increasingly digitized industry, delivering an exceptional experience from start to finish has never been more important.

This guide will help you explore how to build virtual marketing materials that are as well-designed as your plans and project sketches. First, let’s look at some recent data about where the industry is and how it could transform even further over the next several years.

1. Small but Mighty

When we look at 2020 data from the United States, small architectural firms (defined as those with less than ten employees) make up just over 75% of architectural firms in the country. Furthermore, mid-sized firms (those with 10-49 employees) made up just over 18%, while the largest ones (those with 50 or more employees) accounted for the remaining percentage. This means the clear majority of architectural firms in the U.S. have anywhere between 1-9 employees.

2. Growing Demand

The global architectural services market was valued at USD 359.98 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a rate of 4.8% from 2023 to 2030. The demand for services can be attributed to the increasing construction across the globe as populations age and grow. Architects are in high demand and will only continue to be needed around the world. With that demand comes competition and the increased need to stand out from competitors.

3. Digital Transformation

Recent research by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Microsoft found that most architecture firms are transforming the way they work through digital technology. 87% of firms in the survey said they had undergone a digital transformation and found it necessary to stay relevant and innovative.

Virtual reality has been hailed as the future of architecture for several years, but since the mid-2010s, it’s become more widely used. A 2020 industry analysis found that while some firms have been slower to adopt virtual reality, it is already a popular tool within sizable segments of the industry, namely among commercial and residential architecture firms.

The digital tools needed aren’t exclusive to VR technology. Pinterest has been part of any firm’s toolbox for over a decade, and other social media platforms are just as important. As TikTok has something for just about every niche audience, TikTok-itecture has become essential in recent years.