Five architectural designs trends what we expect to see this year

Our product development team monitors the latest emerging designs, which means that we are able to offer customers more choice in terms of materials and finishes. As part of this ongoing process, we share five of our design predictions for this year.

1. Perforated Panels 
At the Batimat Show in Paris, perforated panels were widely used to add a stunning visual aesthetic to many of the building concepts on display. Our own perforated metal solutions are ideal for creating a contemporary design element in all architectural projects looking to make its mark on the build environment.

Perforated panels have the ability to fuse different visual elements, depending from which angle it is viewed. This ability to create an ever changing aesthetic is what has made perforated panels so popular recently. They can be used to over clad an existing building or create a sheer, elegant façade on a new build. 

Eltherington perforated panels have been used for a variety of striking projects including Redcar Community Heartand in the education sector atTresham College. Click here to view our range of perforated panels.

2. Natural look 
In the middle to late 19th century, buildings often had an industrial aesthetic, which was, for obvious reasons, often referred to as brutalist architecture. Flourished from the 1950s to the mid-70s, it was characterised by a ruggedness and frequent repetition of shapes such as the Park Hill flats in Sheffield http://bit.ly/1T4cxAi Concrete was the preferred choice of material. 

Since then, design preferences have move on, with a desire for more refined elegant buildings that retain a link to nature. As a result, we have already seen this feed through to specifications for brushed, grained and linen effect on our architectural metalwork, helping to create buildings that we think look much better and that visually integrate with the natural environment. 

A great material for achieving this look is Corten steel, which offers a natural, weathered look from the day that it is installed. Others include our textured finishes and colours, all of which can be selected to complement or contrast the natural environment.

3. Sustainability 
Eco friendly and sustainable architectural design has become a mandatory requirement on most projects in recent years. We predict that this movement towards ‘low carbon’ design will continue to grow in 2016 as clients and developers look for designs that have a reduced environmental impact. 

Aluminium has always lead in this areas because it is fully recyclable and can be recycled any number of times without losing any of its physical or visual properties. 

4. The return of colour 
Many architectural designs use a neutral colour palette of whites, greys and pale pastels but we predict that brighter colours will begin to integrate into design this year. A key trend for both interior and exterior design is gold and gold tones which contrast well with the steel grey and white colours that are more commonly used in architecture. 

We supply gold anodized aluminium to many customers, which is ideal for adding colour to any design. Our other predictions for colour include Gold Anolok, Anodic PPC and special Metallic.

5. Pattern 
Making a building stand out can be challenging, but the integration of patterns, along with colour, can create a unique design. Many contemporary designers use them to define space and add depth, and this can be seen on a unique project that we supplied for a new Tesco store in Rotherham. 

For more inspirational ideas on how Eltherington can transform an ordinary design into something extra-ordinary, visit: http://www.eltherington.co.uk/metal-showcase/index.html