5 must reads for the AEC industry today: September 25, 2020

1. The Weekly show: Building optimization tech, the future of smart cities, and storm shelter design (BD+C)
"The September 24 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand."

2. AIA releases latest 2030 Commitment results (AIA)
"Architects and engineers participating in the AIA’s 2030 Commitment are reporting the greatest reduction in predicted energy use (pEUI) in the program’s 10-year history."

3. Benefits of building enclosure commissioning include reduced costs (BD+C)
"The key document established by the commissioning team in the predesign phase is the owner’s project requirements, which means the owner’s representatives are an invaluable part of the commissioning team for making the owner’s needs known and understood."

4. White paper: The changing role of coworking in the workplace ecosystem (Cushman and Wakefield)
"Although coworking has been dramatically impacted by COVID-19 and the economic downturn, it’s likely to remain a viable and important workplace environment for a variety of user types and reasons. In this report, we explore some of the trends and factors that are likely to shape the future of coworking. We also take a look at coworking in nearly 30 metro areas throughout the Americas."

5. News delivery robots could generate trillions for U.S. economy, transform last-mile delivery: study (Bisnow)
"The use of autonomous vehicles for last-mile delivery services has the potential to transform U.S. consumer shopping behavior and generate as much as $4.1 trillion in value by 2035, according to a new economic impact study from global consultancy Steer Group."

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.