We asked them and this is what they told us...
If you really want to know what America’s top architects want in 2025 (and beyond) you need to sit down with them and have a conversation. But you know how busy these people are and that there are hundreds of other manufacturers doing all they can to get some 1-on-1 time with these major project influencers at the same time as you are.
When they know you, they'll specify you!
This November 160 plus Principal-level senior architects are flying out to Arizona to give their time and attention willingly and without distraction to a group of ‘in the know’ manufacturers attending Arc US. The number and quality of attending architects is guaranteed as is the access you get to them. Not only can you get the most qualified and timely info. around what America’s top architects need right now, you can get to know these project leaders personally. And when they get to know you, they are far more likely to specify you.
Exclusive Product Insight
In the 21 years that BOND has been setting the standard for 1-on-1 events in the architecture and design space, they have gotten to know many of the architects leading the firms and design teams behind America’s most spectacular, large-scale projects. Furthermore, as each of them confirms their attendance at Arc US, they are asked for information on the projects they are working on and on the type of products they’re looking to source at the event. Up until now this information has been held by BOND Events for the recruitment of suitable manufacturers from the most requested product categories. We are now making this information available to you.
The 30 Most In-Demand Product Categories
As requested by America's Top Architects, 2023-2025
The following product category figures are compiled from the information that the Principals attending Arc US 2023, 2024 and 2025 (so far) have provided. It therefore represents a unique and highly valuable insight into the products most wanted by America’s Top 100 Architecture firms today.
Very High Demand
These are the categories architects requested most frequently — key priorities across commercial projects:
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Cladding / Façade Systems
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Exterior Envelope Systems
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Curtain Walls
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Glazing Systems
High Demand
Still heavily requested — these categories reflect critical materials, finishes, and sustainability trends:
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Exterior Finishes
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Sustainable / Renewable / Biophilic Systems
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Interior Products / Materials / Finishes
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Lighting (incl. LED)
Consistently Requested
Popular across many projects — these often serve specific functions or sectors, and may reflect growing trends:
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Healthcare-Specific Products & Finishes
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Doors
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New Technology
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Wood – Real or Composite
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Metal Panels
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Acoustic Products / Materials
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Mass Timber
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Sports-Related Equipment
Emerging Interest
These categories show more focused or specialised interest — not as frequently mentioned, but still very relevant:
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Terracotta Products
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Roofing Systems
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Rain Screens
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Concrete Solutions
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Architectural / High-Performance Coatings
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Ceiling Systems
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Waterproofing
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Security Systems
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Masonry Products
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Insulation
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Indoor & Outdoor Furniture
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Flooring Systems / Finishes
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Fire-Rated Systems
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Energy-Efficient Systems
The Trends
Exterior and Envelope Focused
The top categories are Cladding (60), Curtain Walls (50), Building/Envelope Solutions (50) and Glazing Systems (46), indicating that façade performance and aesthetics are a dominant priority and in high demand in current projects. In fact, Exterior and Envelope solutions have consistently been noted as the most requested product category from ‘our’ architects over recent years.
Sustainability and Health
Sustainable/renewable/biophilic systems (34) shows that America’s leading architects have a growing interest in eco-friendly and low-carbon solutions. Healthcare-specific products (28) also highlight demand for specialized, health-driven materials.
Interior Design and User Experience
Interior finishes (32), Lighting (30, LED 7), and Acoustic materials (20) suggest growing importance of occupant comfort and design aesthetics. This reflects an increasingly holistic approach to the architects’ design process with interiors and the end-user experience being part of the initial thought process, particularly amongst the larger A&D firms where interiors are also taken care of in-house.
Technology and Performance
New technology (22) and Energy-efficient systems (10) show a clear trend for the ongoing integration of innovation and performance-driven design with Security systems (10) and Fire-rated systems (10) highlighting a high level of attention to safety and compliance.
Traditional Materials Still Relevant
Wood (particularly ‘mass timber’), metal panels, masonry, terracotta, and concrete remain relevant, if at slightly lower levels (10–20 range) than new technology so are perhaps less of a current trend ‘driver’ in relative terms.
Overall Trend Summary
Building envelopes and façades, driven by ‘our’ architects’ continuing quest for performance, energy efficiency, and aesthetics are head and shoulders above the rest as the most requested product category. The figures also show a noticeable push towards sustainability, biophilic design, and healthier environments with Interiors, technology integration, and occupant well-being climbing up the ranks.
Here’s a grouped summary chart of the trends:
- Envelope & Exterior dominates strongly (308), showing façades and cladding are the top priorities.
- Interiors & Comfort (114) and Traditional Materials (96) are still important but secondary.
- Specialized & Safety (72) and Sustainability & Biophilia (62) highlight the growing push for health, resilience, and green design.
- Technology & Innovation (38) is emerging, but still lags behind traditional categories.
Here’s the stacked bar chart breakdown of the leading categories, including the drivers within each category:
- Envelope & Exterior is driven mostly by Cladding, Curtain Walls, Envelope Solutions, and Glazing.
- Sustainability & Biophilia is led by Biophilic systems, with smaller contributions from Mass Timber and Energy-efficient systems.
- Interiors & Comfort is fairly balanced across Finishes, Lighting, Acoustics, and Furniture.
- Specialized & Safety is mainly Healthcare finishes and Doors.
- Traditional Materials are spread across Wood, Metal, Concrete, Masonry, Coatings, etc.
- Technology & Innovation is still a small slice, mainly New Technology.
A caveat: Being wonderfully and delightfully human, some architects provide more info. than others - some giving us a comprehensive run down of everything they need for specific projects while others are more general in expressing their requirements. Terms such as technology, AI, Multi-Family/ Retail/ Hospitality, carbon neutral/positive, sustainable materials, new/unique materials/systems, advanced finishes, healthcare products, sports-related products and many more were regularly stated. You can, therefore, rest assured that, even if your particular product may not appear in our list, there is a consistent sub-text of demand for those product themes that will always be in high demand.
Key Takeaways
What we can take from these figures is that product themes such as sustainable/renewable/biophilic systems, healthcare-specific, new technology and behavioural health are consistently on ‘our’ architects’ minds. The bigger picture in product trends therefore reflects a real drive towards products and solutions that these busy Principals have not come across before – new products and technologies that will help them breathe new life into their design palettes and those that will ultimately enable them to leave an architectural legacy that is good for our health that of our planet.
People and Planet
Whatever products you represent, there are clear directives here for how you need to develop and package them to appeal to the sensibilities of America’s most influential architects. In fact, this goes deeper than that: if you want to strike a chord with the architects who call the shots on America’s headline projects, innovation, new technology, sustainability and genuine human and planetary welfare need to be at the very heart of your company’s ethos. For it is not just new products they want – it’s long term partnerships with likeminded companies and individuals who care about the same things that they do.
The Architects’ Perspective
The world of America’s leading commercial architects is uniquely challenging. Not only do they need to integrate a mind-blowing number of products with ever-increasing compliancy into each and every project, they also need to pack a level of innovation and environmental sensitivity into each design. At its leading edge, commercial architecture is an industry where technological innovation is a given and where environmental and societal needs must also be met by America’s Top 100 Architecture firms if they are to maintain industry status and ranking.
These architects, therefore, need dependable suppliers of products that will help them design and deliver spaces that are sustainable, technologically advanced, resilient (sometimes even self-repairing) and ultimately life-enhancing for those who live and work within and around them.
Architects’ input is essential for product development
As time-pressured decision makers struggle to get away from their projects and offices to see what new products are out there and who’s doing what, the world’s hardest working manufacturers are often left craving their attention. For, not only do they dearly want to work with these project overseers, their input is essential to ensuring their product development plans are on the right track.
Where is the industry going? What do these super-busy architects need? How can you support them? Without being able to ask these questions directly, many of the world’s most innovative and helpful manufacturers are not able to develop the relationships, build the trust and ultimately get the business they deserve from America’s Top 100 Architecture Firms.
The Projects
Each architect who attends Arc US is asked to provide details on their current project portfolios. The full, named and detailed project lists are available by request for each event (please just ask) but the numbers next to each of the following project types give some indication of the sector weighting amongst ‘our’ architects:
Healthcare (314)
Academic (300)
Civic (268)
Mixed use (263)
Planning (250)
Lab/research (227)
Hospitality (223)
Residential (201)
Retail (183)
Sports (156)
Transportation (150)
Healthcare and Academic are the sectors with the most upcoming projects on our architects’ books with Civic, Mixed Use and Planning not far behind with healthy numbers against Hospitality and Residential. Retail, Sports and Transportation number slightly less but still with plenty of projects coming up.
The point is that the architects who attend Arc US call the shots on a huge variety of large-scale projects, numbering hundreds in total. If you’re chasing the big stuff, Arc US is where the project influencers you need to talk to are heading and perhaps the best place on earth to get to know them on a level that’s likely to lead to meaningful business in the long term.
Project business remains a relationship business
The salient point to take from all this product and project insight is that project business remains very much a relationship business and so, if you have faith in your products, whatever they may be and a team behind you to back up your passion and promises, spending three whole days and nights with the number and quality of architects who attend Arc US remains a uniquely compelling proposition.
Transform your Project Prospects
Arc US brings America’s most prolific commercial project people together. That’s Principal-level architects from America’s leading A&D firms, all with large-scale commercial projects meeting with ambitious manufacturers with the products and support they need to bring those projects to life. And, it’s the people who know their products inside out and who are generous and helpful with their knowledge so they can educate (not sell) on the real benefits of partnering with them and their company in the long term that will transform their project prospects here.
For full details on who’s coming, how it works and what you could achieve, get in touch right now.
