New design-build trends shift toward performance and sustainability
Posted in News -
In 2026, the landscape design-build sector anticipates a profound shift from purely decorative design aesthetics to a more performative approach. Clients demand more than just beautiful outdoor spaces. Instead, they desire living areas engineered as seamless, tech-integrated and sustainably minded extensions of their home environment.
Design-build professionals first noted this shift during the pandemic with the advent of the “COVID backyard.” However, in 2026, experts suggest this trend has matured, reflecting a broader consumer demand for environments that encompass the entire outdoor experience rather than isolated design features.
“It’s no longer enough to offer people a static environment,” says J. Wickham Zimmerman, CEO of Anaheim, Calif.-based Outside the Lines, a design-build landscape construction firm specializing in rockwork, water features and themed environments. “Visitors now expect a reason to linger, whether they’re seeking passive rejuvenation of running water or a high-energy spectacle like a choreographed light and water show.”
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