7 must reads for the AEC industry today: June 25, 2020

1. CDC set to build the most advanced high containment laboratory in the country (BD+C)
"Long before COVID-19 put the CDC front and center in news broadcasts around the country, plans to construct the most advanced High Containment Continuity Laboratory (HCCL) in the country had already been finalized."

2. One of Europe’s largest office and warehouse buildings is made entirely of wood (BD+C)
"A new office and warehouse building on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Sweden, made entirely of wood, has completed construction."

3. Architecture billings downward trajectory moderates (AIA)
"AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for May was 32.0 compared to 29.5 in April, but still represents a significant decrease in services provided by U.S. architecture firms."

4. New API enables design and construction technology platforms to connect (BD+C)
"Construction Specifications Institute offers “digital classification engine.”

5. University of Illinois will reopen with face masks and COVID-19 testing but also virtual classes; other colleges plan blend of online, in-person learning (Chicago Tribune)
"In a welcome announcement for restless college students, the University of Illinois confirmed Thursday that all three of its schools will hold modified classes on campus this fall as long as the masses of students coming back wear face masks, undergo coronavirus tests and practice social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19."

6. Gyms, Theaters, Restaurants Among Retail Tenants Most in Need of Rent Relief (National Real Estate Investor)
"While rent relief requests are widespread among retail tenants, restaurants, gyms, theaters and apparel sellers seem to need it the most."

7. The Pandemic Sent Young New Yorkers Packing. Will They Return? (New York Times)
"The financial crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak has led young people from elsewhere to leave the city, uncertain if they will come back."

See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

Multifamily Housing | Feb 7, 2023

Multifamily housing rents flat in January, developers remain optimistic

Multifamily rents were flat in January 2023 as a strong jobs report indicated that fears of a significant economic recession may be overblown. U.S. asking rents averaged $1,701, unchanged from the prior month, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Multifamily Report.

Market Data | Feb 6, 2023

Nonresidential construction spending dips 0.5% in December 2022

National nonresidential construction spending decreased by 0.5% in December, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $943.5 billion for the month.

Architects | Jan 23, 2023

PSMJ report: The fed’s wrecking ball is hitting the private construction sector

Inflation may be starting to show some signs of cooling, but the Fed isn’t backing down anytime soon and the impact is becoming more noticeable in the architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) space. The overall A/E/C outlook continues a downward trend and this is driven largely by the freefall happening in key private-sector markets.

Hotel Facilities | Jan 23, 2023

U.S. hotel construction pipeline up 14% to close out 2022

At the end of 2022’s fourth quarter, the U.S. construction pipeline was up 14% by projects and 12% by rooms year-over-year, according to Lodging Econometrics.

Products and Materials | Jan 18, 2023

Is inflation easing? Construction input prices drop 2.7% in December 2022

Softwood lumber and steel mill products saw the biggest decline among building construction materials, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index.

Market Data | Jan 10, 2023

Construction backlogs at highest level since Q2 2019, says ABC

Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator remained unchanged at 9.2 months in December 2022, according to an ABC member survey conducted Dec. 20, 2022, to Jan. 5, 2023. The reading is one month higher than in December 2021.

Market Data | Jan 6, 2023

Nonresidential construction spending rises in November 2022

Spending on nonresidential construction work in the U.S. was up 0.9% in November versus the previous month, and 11.8% versus the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Industry Research | Dec 28, 2022

Following a strong year, design and construction firms view 2023 cautiously

The economy and inflation are the biggest concerns for U.S. architecture, construction, and engineering firms in 2023, according to a recent survey of AEC professionals by the editors of Building Design+Construction.