The year 2019 challenged U.S. architects and designers to face a not-so-distant future where Uber aircraft and autonomous-driving vehicles become a reality.

These developments alone are pushing designers and architects to brainstorm ways their commercial creations can implement technologies and amenities to accommodate tomorrow’s consumers.

But, perhaps, the biggest architectural trend of 2019 is not technology or its advancement, but rather the design industry’s newfound focus on creating a sense of place that’s not only environmentally healthy, but emotionally stabilizing for each building's end user.

“Today our buildings need to do more than just provide shelter, they also need to be an ally in creating environments that enhance the human experience by understanding human behavior and responding in a way that encourages positive interaction,” HKS President and CEO Dan Noble said.

Noble and other architects and designers will be speaking at Bisnow's upcoming Architectural and Design Conference on Oct. 30.

BOKA Powell Architects partner John Orfield calls this new placemaking trend the "Starbucks-ization" of the workplace and U.S. communities.

"People neither want to work at home, nor in a traditional office environment — but rather somewhere in between," Orfield said.

"It is part of a move toward urbanity, where desirable, comfortable spaces are within a five-minute walk. As with pedestrian-friendly locations like Dallas’ Uptown district, so too are we seeing the urbanization of the suburbs into experience-driven districts like Legacy West that support office, retail and multifamily in vibrant walkable communities."

For the above reasons, 2019 could very well be known as the year when architects and commercial designers returned to their prehistoric roots and explored the psychological impact every building’s interior, exterior and landscape design has on the human psyche.

Like a good therapist, architects are now forced to contemplate how tenants and guests feel when they walk in the front door.