flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

6 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 27, 2020

Market Data

6 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 27, 2020

Customized labs give universities a recruiting edge and the U.S. construction pipeline remains robust through the first half of 2020.


By BD+C Editors | July 27, 2020


1. Customized labs give universities a recruiting edge (BD+C) 
"When Andrew Labov began his career with CO Architects in 1987, it wasn’t all that rare for universities to customize their labs for specific users. But over the years the cost of construction and renovation became prohibitive, so universities made their lab spaces as flexible as possible."

2. A hybrid learning approach could redefine higher education (BD+C) 
"Chris Purdy, AIA, LEED AP, Vice President and Higher Education Practice Director for SmithGroup, anticipates a “widespread acceptance” of the hybrid learning format. He adds that campus de-densification will require rapid, data-driven strategic planning. Erin Joseph Machau, Jacobs’ Higher Education Market Leader, sees these trends inevitably leading toward more modular and flexible design."

3. Putting 'home' at the heart of affordable housing (GBBN) 
"Home is a powerful thing. It’s the place that forms you, a guiding set of relationships, memories, and experiences that, for better or worse, make you who you are. Home is also essential to developing our potential. Without a stable home, we have little prospect to be educated, advance in meaningful work, and nurture our loved ones."

4. The U.S. construction pipeline remains robust through the first half of 2020, despite pandemic (Lodging Econometrics) 
"Projects currently under construction stand at 1,771 projects/235,467 rooms, up 3% and 1% respectively, YOY."

5. Occupancy in Senior Housing Hits 15-Year Low on Pandemic Fears (Bloomberg via National Real Estate Investor)
"In the second quarter, occupancy at independent living and assisted living facilities declined by 2.8 percent."

6. Post-COVID-19, Could This Be the Next Hot CRE Asset? (Commercial Property Executive)
"Though many are working from home now because of stay-at-home orders, eventually there will be a return to offices—and people want to be safe getting there."


Related Stories

Market Data | Apr 6, 2023

JLL’s 2023 Construction Outlook foresees growth tempered by cost increases

The easing of supply chain snags for some product categories, and the dispensing with global COVID measures, have returned the North American construction sector to a sense of normal. However, that return is proving to be complicated, with the construction industry remaining exceptionally busy at a time when labor and materials cost inflation continues to put pricing pressure on projects, leading to caution in anticipation of a possible downturn. That’s the prognosis of JLL’s just-released 2023 U.S. and Canada Construction Outlook.

Market Data | Apr 4, 2023

Nonresidential construction spending up 0.4% in February 2023

National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.4% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $982.2 billion for the month, up 16.8% from the previous year. 

Multifamily Housing | Mar 24, 2023

Average size of new apartments dropped sharply in 2022

The average size of new apartments in 2022 dropped sharply in 2022, as tracked by RentCafe. Across the U.S., the average new apartment size was 887 sf, down 30 sf from 2021, which was the largest year-over-year decrease.

Multifamily Housing | Mar 14, 2023

Multifamily housing rent rates remain flat in February 2023

Multifamily housing asking rents remained the same for a second straight month in February 2023, at a national average rate of $1,702, according to the new National Multifamily Report from Yardi Matrix. As the economy continues to adjust in the post-pandemic period, year-over-year growth continued its ongoing decline.

Contractors | Mar 14, 2023

The average U.S. contractor has 9.2 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of February 2023

Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 9.2 months in February, according to an ABC member survey conducted Feb. 20 to March 6. The reading is 1.2 months higher than in February 2022.

Industry Research | Mar 9, 2023

Construction labor gap worsens amid more funding for new infrastructure, commercial projects  

The U.S. construction industry needs to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet demand for labor, according to a model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors. The construction industry averaged more than 390,000 job openings per month in 2022.

Market Data | Mar 7, 2023

AEC employees are staying with firms that invest in their brand

Hinge Marketing’s latest survey explores workers’ reasons for leaving, and offers strategies to keep them in the fold.

Multifamily Housing | Feb 21, 2023

Multifamily housing investors favoring properties in the Sun Belt

Multifamily housing investors are gravitating toward Sun Belt markets with strong job and population growth, according to new research from Yardi Matrix. Despite a sharp second-half slowdown, last year’s nationwide $187 billion transaction volume was the second-highest annual total ever.

Contractors | Feb 14, 2023

The average U.S. contractor has nine months worth of construction work in the pipeline

Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined 0.2 months to 9.0 in January, according to an ABC member survey conducted Jan. 20 to Feb. 3. The reading is 1.0 month higher than in January 2022.

Office Buildings | Feb 9, 2023

Post-Covid Manhattan office market rebound gaining momentum

Office workers in Manhattan continue to return to their workplaces in sufficient numbers for many of their employers to maintain or expand their footprint in the city, according to a survey of more than 140 major Manhattan office employers conducted in January by The Partnership for New York City.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category



AEC Tech

Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption

Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI. 


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021