Architecture Industry Outlook 2025: Key Data & Insights

Iryna Bursuk

January 27, 2025

The architecture industry drives innovation and integration of smart technologies in built environments. The 2025 Architecture Industry Outlook examines top trends, advancements, and strategies for impacting urban landscapes while improving sustainability and design efficiency.

The 2025 Architecture Industry Outlook emphasizes the role of innovative technologies and investment trends in shaping the built environment. From AI-driven design tools to sustainable construction methods, digital solutions are changing how architects, engineers, and builders collaborate.

The report offers insights into the architecture market’s landscape, growth trajectory, key hubs, and emerging startups for stakeholders, investors, and policymakers.

Executive Summary: Architecture Industry Outlook 2025

  • Industry Growth Overview: The architecture industry has more than 111 670 companies and 8810 startups. The architectural services market size will grow from USD 215.13 billion in 2025 to USD 273.97 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2%. On a granular level, the architecture industry has experienced a declining growth rate of 1.02% over the past year as per our platform’s latest data.
  • Manpower & Employment Growth: The market employs over 5 million individuals globally, with an increase of 290K new jobs added in the last year.
  • Patents & Grants: The architecture industry features more than 1 million patents and 7K grants. The patent growth rate is 5.11% yearly, with the US and China leading in patent issuance.
  • Global Footprint: Key hubs for architecture include the US, India, UK, Canada, and Australia, showcasing a diverse global infrastructure supporting market growth. Major city hubs encompass London, New York City, Sydney, Melbourne, and Dubai.
  • Investment Landscape: The average investment value per funding round exceeds USD 24 million, with over 16 890 funding rounds closed. More than 12K investors are actively engaged in the architecture industry.
  • Top Investors: Major investors include Carlisle, CD&R, Jobs DB and more are collectively investing over USD 5.63 billion across numerous companies.
  • Startup Ecosystem: Five innovative startups, mbue (AI-powered architectural review automation), Bricks and Pixels (AR and VR apps), Wearrecho (virtual visualization platform), BIREN (building integrated photovoltaics), and Cetopo (3d site models) showcase the industry’s global reach and entrepreneurial spirit.

 

 

Methodology: How We Created This Architecture Market Outlook

This architecture industry report is based on proprietary data from our AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, which tracks 25 million companies and 20 000 technologies and trends globally, including detailed insights on approximately 5 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies. Leveraging this extensive database, we provide actionable insights on emerging technologies and market trends.

For this report, we focused on the evolution of the architecture industry over the past 5 years, utilizing our platform’s trend intelligence feature. Key data points analyzed include:

  • Total Companies working on the trend
  • News Coverage and Annual Growth
  • Market Maturity and Patents
  • Global Search Volume & Growth
  • Funding Activity and Top Countries
  • Subtrends within architecture

Our data is refreshed regularly, enabling trend comparisons for deeper insights into their relative impact and importance.

Additionally, we reviewed external resources to supplement our findings with broader market data and predictions, ensuring a reliable and comprehensive overview of the architecture market.

What Data is Used to Create This Architecture Market Report?

Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the architecture market ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database.

These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the market’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the market.

  • News Coverage & Publications: The architecture industry has been featured in over 82 790 publications in the last year which showcase major media attention.
  • Funding Rounds: There have been more than 16 890 funding rounds recorded in our database for this sector.
  • Manpower: The global workforce in the architecture industry exceeds 5 million, with an additional 290K+ employees added in the past year alone.
  • Patents: The architecture industry holds more than 1 million patents.
  • Grants: Over 7K grants have been awarded to companies within the architecture industry.
  • Yearly Global Search Growth: The architecture market has experienced a yearly global search growth of 4.55%.

Explore the Data-driven Architecture Market Report for 2025

According to The Business Research Company, the architectural services market size will grow from USD 215.13 billion in 2025 to USD 273.97 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2%.

The architecture industry outlook 2025 uses data from the Discovery Platform and encapsulates the key metrics that underline the sector’s dynamic growth and innovation.

Our database features 8811 startups and over 111 670 companies which reflect the industry’s vast scope despite an annual growth decline of 1.02%. It also highlights over 1 million patents and 7K grants.

 

 

According to the Precedence Research report, the global architectural services market size was expected to be valued at USD 392.50 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach around USD 597.97 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 4.3%.

Mordor Intelligence report suggests that the architectural services market size will grow from USD 370.51 billion in 2025 to USD 480.80 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.35%.

The global architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 10.3%, reaching approximately USD 24.36 billion by 2032.

Additionally, with a global workforce exceeding 5 million and 290K new employees added last year, the architecture industry’s talent pool remains robust.

Major hubs include the US, India, the UK, Canada, and Australia, while cities like London, New York, Sydney, Melbourne, and Dubai stand out as vibrant epicenters of architectural activity.

A Snapshot of the Global Architecture Market

Over the past year, the architecture industry has experienced a declining annual growth rate of 1.02%

Among 8811 startups, over 2410 are in the early stages, while more than 3750 have progressed to mergers and acquisitions which signal a mix of innovation and consolidation.

On the intellectual property front, over 1 million patents have been filed, representing contributions from 97 830+ applicants globally.

Further, the industry sees steady innovation, with a yearly patent growth rate of 5.11%. The US leads as the top patent issuer, accounting for over 404 490 filings, followed by China with 177 900+ patents.

Explore the Funding Landscape of the Architecture Market

With an average investment value exceeding USD 24 million per round, the architecture industry demonstrates major financial commitment. Over 12K investors have participated in more than 16 890 funding rounds and are collectively supporting over 7540 companies.

Company Distribution Across Various Funding Stages - Architecture Industry Outlook

Moreover, Volkswagen and Rivian have initiated a USD 5.8 billion joint venture to develop new electrical architecture and vehicle software, with future models expected to debut by 2027.

Who is Investing in the Architecture Market?

The combined investment value of the top investors in the architecture industry exceeds USD 5.63 billion. Here is a breakdown of their contributions:

 

Top 10 Investors in the Architecture Market

 

Top Architecture Innovations & Trends

Discover the emerging trends in the architecture market along with their firmographic details:

 

Overview of Architecture Industry Trends

 

  • Sustainable Architecture leads the industry with over 980 companies employing 45K professionals, including 1000 new hires in the past year. Although the annual growth rate of 8.03% is moderate, the steady increase reflects the demand for eco-friendly design. Moreover, the rising environmental awareness, stringent regulations, and client demands for energy-efficient buildings are pushing this domain.
  • The 3D Construction Printing domain has over 190 companies and 17K employees, including 510 new hires in the last year. The annual growth rate of 40.22% signals a high trajectory, showcasing major adoption in the architecture industry. Further, 3D printing enables custom designs and improves architecture with creative freedom, sustainable materials, and solutions to labor shortages.
  • The Smart Homes domain has over 7340 companies employing 330K professionals, including 21K new hires last year. With an annual growth rate of 19.76%, smart home solutions are becoming essential in modern architectural design. Moreover, architects increasingly incorporate smart solutions into residential and commercial designs to improve how people interact with their living spaces.

Zaha Hadid Architects use generative AI to streamline intricate design creation, improve productivity, and reduce costs in project competition stages.

Further, the architecture industry is prioritizing sustainability with eco-friendly materials and adaptive reuse amid global urbanization.

5 Top Examples from 6140+ Innovative Architecture Startups

The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.

mbue develops AI-powered Architectural Review Automation

US-based startup mbue automates architectural review using AI-powered quality control tools to streamline the detection of issues in architectural drawings.

Its application, Change Control+, compares two sets of drawings with high accuracy by identifying all additions, deletions, or modifications. The application also includes text content changes with character-level precision. 

Moreover, this app understands drawings as a human would, recognizes elements that have moved without altering, interprets text, and identifies repeated changes.

 

Drawing Difference - mbue

 

It analyzes text in notes, annotations, schedules, and specifications, even when overlapping or challenging to read, delivering precise details about modifications. 

Further, the application generates categorized reports of changes, organized by discipline and location for architects to prioritize and address critical updates efficiently. 

Bricks and Pixels creates AR and VR Apps

Bricks and Pixels is an Indian startup that develops AR and VR applications and offers architectural visualizations into immersive experiences.

 

 

Its solutions include tools like the Arch Viz Explorer which enables property buyers to explore amenities, residences, and neighborhoods through 3D tours. 

In addition, the Home Configurator features real-time lighting adjustments, material customization, and virtual measurement capabilities. 

The startup’s WebAR technology allows architects to show their clients 3D models in real-world environments directly from their browsers. 

Moreover, Bricks and Pixels enable architects, developers, and homebuyers to customize spaces through panoramic tours, user data analytics, and precise material pricing tools.

Wearrecho offers a Virtual Visualization Platform

Czech Republican startup, Wearrecho develops a virtual reality platform for architects to create, visualize, and collaborate on architectural projects in immersive environments.

 

 

The platform allows architects to design spaces in virtual reality while improving the conceptual design process. It also enables architects and designers to identify potential issues early in the project. 

Moreover, the platform supports integration with tools like Revit for architects to import and refine models directly. 

BIREN designs Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)

Spanish startup BIREN develops building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions that merge photovoltaic technology with architectural structures.

Its products integrate photovoltaic modules into buildings and urban elements to offer customizable designs. 

By combining renewable electricity generation, insulation, and aesthetic adaptability, BIREN’s solutions allow energy self-consumption and reduce reliance on conventional materials. 

This further delivers major economic savings and environmental benefits by transforming urban environments through sustainable energy integration.

Cetopo builds 3D Site Models

Finns startup Cetopo provides a platform that delivers highly accurate site and context models for architects, designers, and developers.

The platform uses intelligent algorithms to aggregate data from over 60 sources, including government databases, to generate geo-located models. 

It offers building information modeling (BIM)-compatible files and dedicated plugins for Archicad and Revit. These tools enable designers and architects to integrate 2D and 3D models into software such as AutoCAD, Rhino, and SketchUp.

Moreover, Cetopo automates data collection and context modeling for architects to create visualizations with real context while reducing time spent on manual file handling.

Gain Comprehensive Insights into Architecture Trends, Startups, or Technologies

In 2025, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and sustainable building technologies will change design and construction in the architecture industry.

With a growing focus on smart building solutions and digital transformation, the architecture industry will become more adaptable and resilient to global changes.

Get in touch to explore all 6140+ startups and scaleups, as well as all market trends impacting 111 670+ companies.

 

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