Renovation work outpaces new construction for first time in two decades

Renovations of older buildings in U.S. cities recently hit a record high as reflected in architecture firm billings, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA). As of spring 2022, the majority of billings came from retrofit work, not new construction. It’s the first time in the 20 years AIA data has shown that renovations have surpassed 50%, Bloomberg reports.

In 2005, as a pre-recession building boom neared its end, renovations composed about one-third of billings. That share has been increasing steadily since 2017, when it was 44.4%, and has risen to 52% this year.

Kermit Baker, AIA's Chief Economist, says that the last time the market was so heavily weighted toward renovations was likely during the Great Depression.

One quarter of renovations are for conventional interior modernizations and upgrades, and another quarter are adaptive reuse projects that change the function and program of a building. New tenant fit-outs comprise 17.8% of renovations.

New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Jan 26, 2022

Bruner/Cott Architects revives a historic horse and bicycle racing complex

The original complex was built in 1899.

Concrete buildings: Effective solutions for restorations and major repairs

Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Jan 24, 2022

Marvel leads restoration and redesign of El Yunque Visitors’ Center

The project cost $18.1 million.

The Yotel micro hotel in San Francisco emerged from the conversion of a 115-year-old office building.

Adaptive Reuse | Dec 16, 2021

An adaptive reuse of a historic building in San Francisco was worth the wait

A five-year-long project included extensive restoration.

Giants 400 | Dec 5, 2021

2021 Reconstruction Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. building reconstruction and renovation sector

STO Building Group, Alfa Tech Consulting Engineers, Gensler, and Stantec top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.