Architecture in 2024 is defined less by a dominant style than by a series of regulatory and technological constraints that modify the daily practice of agencies. The European directive on the energy performance of buildings, the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence, and the return of structural reuse: these three axes reshape the framework within which architects design, calculate, and deliver their projects.
Revised EPBD Directive: What the European regulatory framework changes for architects
Most articles on architectural trends mention sustainability as a desirable horizon. The reality of 2024 is more constraining: the revised EPBD directive (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) now requires that all new buildings be “zero emissions” by 2030, with an intermediate milestone as early as 2028 for public buildings.
This timeline forces agencies to integrate carbon analysis throughout the entire life cycle from the sketch phase, rather than at the end of the project. The calculation no longer focuses solely on energy consumption during operation: it includes the manufacturing of materials, transportation, construction, and deconstruction.
For professionals closely following these developments, finding useful information on Archi Line helps contextualize these new obligations within French practice.
In concrete terms, an architect designing a residential building in France must now justify their material choices through a life cycle analysis (LCA). The RE2020 had initiated this logic on national territory. The European directive extends it to all member states and tightens the permissible carbon thresholds at each deadline.
Artificial intelligence in architecture agencies: real adoption and measured limits
AI in architecture is no longer a projection. According to the RIBA AI Report 2026, the share of British firms using AI on at least some projects rose from 41% in 2024 to 59% in 2025, then 74% in 2026. These figures reflect rapid progress, but the details nuance the picture.
Only 31% of these firms use AI on the majority of their projects. And only 15% report AI as “integrated into daily operations.” Adoption remains largely exploratory, focused on three specific uses:
- Upstream visualization, where generative tools produce volumetric variations in minutes instead of several days of manual modeling.
- Regulatory compliance checks, which allow for automatic verification that a project meets the distances, heights, and ratios imposed by the local urban planning scheme.
- Internal management of the firm (resource planning, site monitoring, drafting administrative documents).
A Chaos/Architizer report covering 2025-2026 confirms this trend on a global scale: about 60% of agencies use AI tools, primarily for rendering and concept design. The reliability of results remains the main barrier to deeper integration in technical phases.
What AI does not replace in the design process
The phases where AI shows its limits are those that require negotiation with the physical and human context: dialogue with residents, arbitration between program and budget, adaptation to the site during construction. Architectural synthesis remains an act of judgment that current tools cannot replicate.
AI accelerates the production of images and documents. It does not produce a project in the sense that an architect understands: a constructed object that simultaneously considers structure, uses, budget, and site.
Wood and bio-sourced materials in construction: from discourse to structured industry
Wood in construction is not a novelty. What changes in 2024 is the structuring of the industry and the widening of the spectrum of bio-sourced materials used in France.
The RE2020, gradually coming into effect since 2022, penalizes materials with a high carbon footprint and mechanically promotes the use of wood, straw, hemp, or rammed earth. Architects designing collective housing projects in wood are no longer isolated pioneers: the French wood construction industry now has industrial capacities to respond to programs of several dozen housing units.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) allows for the construction of multi-story structures with reduced construction times compared to concrete. Facades made of weathered wood, long perceived as a sign of aging, are now claimed as an aesthetic choice embraced by agencies like Kengo Kuma, whose building north of Paris features a sculpted facade made of French wood intentionally left to gray.
Reuse of materials: a practice that enters specifications
Structural reuse (steel beams, bricks, joinery) is moving from the experimental stage to common prescription in certain public projects. Project owners increasingly require a percentage of reused materials, which forces architects to integrate resource diagnostics before demolition.
This logic modifies the classic project sequence: before designing, one must inventory what exists and what can be preserved. Resource diagnostics now precede the sketch in an increasing number of public consultations.
BIM and digital twins: towards continuous building management
Building Information Modeling is no longer a niche tool. In 2024, its use extends beyond the design phase to cover building management throughout its life cycle. The concept of digital twin refers to a 3D model connected to the sensors of the real building, updated in real-time to track energy consumption, equipment status, and maintenance planning.
This evolution transforms the role of the architect after delivery. Where the executed works file (DOE) traditionally marked the end of intervention, the digital twin creates a permanent link between the designer, the operator, and the building. Agencies that master this complete digital chain position themselves for follow-up missions that generate recurring revenue.
The convergence between carbon obligations, digital tools, and bio-sourced materials shapes an architecture sector where technical competence weighs as much as formal creativity. Agencies recruiting in 2024 are looking for profiles capable of conducting an LCA, configuring a BIM model, and engaging with a local wood industry, in addition to designing a building that stands and is visually appealing.
