Keeping it simple just one of many trends in architectural design

on Monday,May 17,2010 15:05

While waiting for a sustained economic recovery, many architects have been taking a less-is-more approach to building design.

ARCHITECT magazine has been examining this potential trend, which it has dubbed The New Modesty. Regardless of whether it's a trend that will last, many architectural analysts say it was inspired by the sluggish construction economy rather than any creative or artistic shift.

As critic Clay Risen suggests in the ARCHITECT article, what will influence architectural designs over the next few years will not necessarily be an artistic design shift but a swing - up or down - in the global economy.

The New York Times discussed this topic when it looked at the increasing popularity of the white-brick buildings that dot some areas of Manhattan. New York City-based architects have praised the design and look, calling white brick "a nice, simple material," according to the Times.

A move toward simpler building design may not be the only shift on the horizon. Earlier this year, DesignIntelligence magazine analyzed a number of trends that could aid architecture and design firms during what it predicted would be very slow economic recovery.