My first Publication Arup_BuildingDesign2020_v2 | Page 4

Introduction
In the past half century, Arup has
accomplished astounding feats. Through our
partnerships, fortitude and innovative spirit,
we have dotted the earth with iconic beauty,
pushed the boundaries of physics to touch
the sky, and provided unparalleled value to
clients around the globe. We take pride in our
commitment to shape a better world. Each
year, Arup invests in a wide range of research
to ensure the continued success of this
mission.
Part of that research is the document you
are currently reading, the Arup Foresight,
Research & Innovation team’s global study
on the future of Building Design. Funded
by the Buildings Practice Executive, this
investigation took the form of a series of over
300 conversations across Arup’s five regions,
aimed at identifying vectors of change
affecting building design over the next
half-decade. We interviewed internal subject
matter experts and external stakeholders
involved at every stage of the building design
Left: Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou, China
process to identify the biggest trends in the
sector and to develop an understanding
of how these trends will impact Arup’s daily
practice.
In the following pages, you will find a
distillation of the insights that emerged from
this research. These findings around the
future of building design indicate areas of
particular interest to Arup and our partners,
as well as highlighting some of the most
exciting new ideas from our investigation.
We hope that this report will serve as a
starting point for deep, regionally-specific
conversations on how to best leverage trends
relevant to the future of building design in
order to improve our work, deliver more
value for our clients, and remain a leading
provider of cutting-edge solutions.
Welcome to Building Design 2020.
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