Commercial construction has seen plenty of growth as an industry in Australia over the last few years.

With this rapid growth comes rapid change, largely due to advances in technology.

Predicting future trends is not an exact science, but the ways in which the industry has changed offers some helpful insight to builders, project managers and customers.

Here are 4 commercial construction trends to watch out for in 2019 and beyond.

1. Sustainability

More and more companies providing both residential and commercial construction are attempting to incorporate sustainable aspects into their projects.

Timber projects and in particular recycled materials like steel and glass are gaining prominence and will likely continue past 2019.

Waste from builds and demolition projects normally flagged for landfill are being used in other projects, which saves both money and the impact on the environment.

2. More innovative, resilient, cost-effective, efficient building materials

There are innovations with building materials every year. This year in particular however, the commercial construction industry can start to see some some of these innovational materials being used.

These innovations which have been developed over the last few years include transparent wood, pollution-absorbing bricks, and self-healing concrete.

These may sound like something out of a science-fiction novel, but the future really is here!

3.  Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Technology

Another trend the commercial construction industry may start to see more of in 2019 is the use of virtual and augmented reality technology.

Virtual reality strives to give users an accurate visual representation of certain situations, settings and scenarios. In the commercial construction industry, virtual reality is applied in the same way. This can give stakeholders, project managers or customers the ability to see a project before it even commences.

VR or AR could be used to sell or gauge interest in a project, or detect potential errors in the design phase as well as possible safety hazards.

This technology is not cheap though – at this stage, expect to see it implemented only in large scale projects with a global market.

4. Modular and Pre-Fab Construction Projects

In 2018, PrefabAus predicted the commercial construction industry would see a rise in off-site and modular construction. They were correct, and this will continue in 2019.

Modular construction is a prefabricated approach to building structures that are in essence the same. Buildings like hotels and office blocks are ideal for this method as they are often repetitive in design.

Prefab and modular construction can produce builds at low cost, and at within short time periods. This is because projects are built off-site in a controlled environment, so are not subject to weather and similar delays that would normally exist in a construction site.

Want Help With Your Upcoming Commercial Construction Project?

Solutions Built have worked on numerous commercial construction projects in conjunction with various established companies over the last two decades. To find out more about the customised, holistic solutions we can offer your upcoming commercial projects, please contact the Solutions Built team.