There are fewer projects that can turn heads like a large sports arena. The recent projects at Jacksonville State are excellent local examples of this, as well as nationally known venues like AT&T Stadium in Dallas and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Designed to house thousands of fans and host important athletic events, sports stadiums are a big deal in the field of commercial architecture. The sub-field of sports architecture has driven up interest in building design. The scope and risk...

Technology has always had its presence in design.

From the days of flat paper sketches to 3D computer rendered images, architectural technology has seen several innovations over the past few years.

The use of virtual reality architecture seems to be the latest innovation, and it will certainly alter how designers and clients communicate and collaborate on projects.

An architect plays many roles in design. From creating something that is aesthetically pleasing to appeasing all building codes and considering security, an architect literally considers every angle before finalizing a design. When it comes to security and safety, commercial and residential architecture requires a balance of design and construction elements — all of which are established by the architect and before they are carried out by the building construction team....

The use of virtual reality in architecture has begun to modernize the design process. Already clients are experiencing faster design processes, and architectural firms are revamping the way they create designs for their customers. One area that is likely to benefit from VR technology is green building architecture. For commercial and residential buildings looking to optimize a green design, architects will embrace the benefit of VR....

When designing a building, an architect must consider not only public health and safety but also the fire protection of the property.

They must look at the property from all angles, including that of first responders and occupants. From considering the materials used in their design to establishing proper flow and layout for rescue, an architect does much more than adding four walls, a ceiling, and a roof to a design.