What to Expect: Three Major Trends at the 2023 Buildings Conference

In just under six weeks, BuiltWorlds will once again welcome leading architects and engineers, developers, builders, investment professionals, and solution providers to Chicago from far and wide to discuss all things buildings. Largely fueled by primary research and conversations with household names in the built world, up-and-comers, and everyone in between, the 2023 Buildings Conference will focus on some of the most pressing topics in the AEC industry. 

The Buildings Conference is the culmination of a continuous curriculum cultivated from the Building Tech Track. Within this track, BuiltWorlds Members have access to the Building Tech Forum page and monthly meetings, various Research Reports, and Analyst Calls. Outside of conversations with key players in the space, much of the content is driven by the data collected from the Building Tech Survey. To influence the direction of the Building Tech Track and, ultimately, the Buildings Conference, take the Building Tech Survey below!

Participate in the BuiltWorlds Building Tech Survey!

By taking the survey, your perspectives will be represented in our industry data. At the Building Tech Conference, in concert with our many other surveys and data collection efforts, attendees and members will hear the results of the survey.

In line with trends identified through BuiltWorlds' primary research and industry conversations, the following three themes will be major focus areas during the 2023 Buildings Conference: Sustainability, Connectivity, and Efficiency / Productivity.

Day One of the Buildings Conference will predominantly focus on Building Planning and Design, whereas Day Two will highlight Building Operations, Maintenance, and Modularization.

1. Sustainability

It likely comes as no surprise, but sustainability and green building initiatives are top of mind for much of the industry. With an increasing number of Building Tech Survey respondents indicating that they are required to provide metrics on sustainability / ESG when responding to FRPs / FRQs and submitting proposals, the need to understand and discuss best practices is more critical than ever.

Because of this, the Buildings Conference is putting an emphasis on sustainability in the form of building materials and systems, planning and design tools, decarbonization efforts, and energy management. Though panelists may touch on these ideas in several panels, the following panels were specifically designed to cover the overarching theme of sustainability.

  1. How the Drive for Energy Positive / Carbon Negative is Changing Our Buildings
  2. New Tools for Planning Better Buildings
  3. How Sustainability / ESG Priorities are Changing the Way We Design & Build
  4. How Innovation in Building Materials and Systems is / is Not Changing Our Buildings

As mentioned, this isn't an expansive list of panels that will touch on sustainability — environmental concerns will likely span the entirety of the conference. However, when thinking about our physical buildings, for example, the materials that are used to construct them are an obvious place to look to limit our impact on the planet. Conversations will help differentiate which sustainable innovations are viable today and which ideas need more development.

2. Connectivity

While sustainability is a hot topic in the industry, factors like connectivity are no less important. With continued innovation in technology that promotes interoperability and data collection, building connectivity is proving to be an area where owners and operators can optimize key functions and increase margins. The following panels will examine connectivity at the Buildings Conference.

  1. Building IoT - The Challenges and Opportunities of Building Operations Tech.
  2. Facilities Management & Maintenance Tech

3. Efficiency / Productivity Increases

Similar to connectivity, as owners and operators are looking to software to increase margins and the quality of data they collect, builders are looking for ways to increase efficiency and productivity. One avenue to achieve this is through modular / prefab. Below are two sessions that will take an in-depth look at offsite building and its impacts on the AEC world.

  1. How Prefabrication, Lifecycle Costing, and Other Factors are Changing the Role of the Contractor in the Design of Buildings
  2. The Nuances of Modular / Prefab: Modular Development & Modular Construction and the Impact on How We Build

Despite being a means to create repeatable processes, produce less waste, and more easily adhere to project schedules, as we'll see in the second panel listed above, modularity may not be a turnkey solution. Join us in May to listen to leading minds in offsite construction. 

Bringing it All Together

Fittingly, to end the conference, attendees who registered using this form will be given a guided tour of 800 W Fulton Market from its architect Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM).

This 19-story mixed-use building sits in the heart of one of Chicago's most vibrant neighborhoods and is a prime example of a building that was designed with sustainability, connectivity, and efficiency in mind.

BuiltWorlds Members

If you are a BuiltWorlds member and want to attend, click the link to the right to redeem your company's tickets!

Not a member?

If you're not a BuiltWorlds member but want to attend, click the link to the right for non-member pricing, or reach out to info@builtworlds.com to learn more about membership!