Building trends change throughout the years. Although several designs have remained popular over the years, it is crucial to keep up with the latest building designs to help grow your business because first impressions are vital to your customers and clients. Here are the five most recent trends in commercial buildings. 
 
Go Green
 
The effects of climate change over recent years have made it vital that sustainable products are used during the building process. Green building processes utilize environmentally friendly products that include recycled materials and sustainable products. Green designs feature smart waste management as well as designs that help reduce water consumption, energy efficiency, and improved humidity control.  Green building practices cost a mere 2 percent more than conventional building materials; however, over the life expectancy of a commercial building, commercial property owners can expect to save more than 20 percent.  
 
Collaborative Spaces in Commercial Buildings
 
In the past, employees gathered in break rooms or around water coolers to catch up on the latest office gossip, share ideas, and more. Commercial architects understand that creating inviting and open areas allow employees to collaborate. When designing these spaces, architects will include open areas where casual seating can be placed.   In these areas, architects should include natural lighting, sound inhibiting building materials, and inviting materials to provide employees with an informal space to relax, meet, and collaborate on upcoming projects. 
 
Energy Efficient Exteriors
 
Creating energy efficient exteriors using insulating concrete blocks reduce maintenance costs, provides better insulation, provides fire resistance, and increases the strength of a structure. In addition to this, energy-efficient walls provide soundproofing to help decrease outside noise.   Insulating concrete blocks are easily installed, which means the wall systems of a commercial building will go up faster, resulting in a reduced cost. Insulating concrete blocks are durable and can withstand the strong hurricane winds experienced in the South as well as the snowstorms that occur in the North. 
 
Flexible Workspaces
 
A flexible workspace allows different work zones in a building. Some employees work better in an open office environment because of the energy and activity offered by working alongside other employees. Other employees prefer to work in the peace and quiet that individual offices provide.  Creating flexible workspaces allows business owners to increase employee productivity by offering both open office spaces as well as individual offices. Teams can meet in open office spaces when they are working on a large project while data processors that require a calm environment can sneak away to an individual office away from the hustle and bustle. 
 
Smart Glass
 
Windows provide natural lighting and allow the outdoors indoors; however, bright sunlight can interfere with employees working on computers. Smart glass can be glazed or tinted to reduce glare, diminish heat, and reduce bright light in work areas. Smart glass helps to reduce energy costs while providing an enjoyable environment for employees. One of the latest advances in smart glass is the ability to control the amount of tint the window has. For example, on bright, sunny days, employees can increase the tint on the window. On cold, cloudy days, the tint can be lightened to increase the amount of heat and light entering the building. 
 
Business owners should choose designs that will improve the experience of working inside newly designed buildings as well as improving the energy efficiency of a building.