The Construction Outlook: Implications for Architectural Firms
Earlier this year, acla:works director, Brian Lewis, attended the AIA Convention in Miami, Florida. Brian returned to Trinidad not only with photos from the convention, but also with an outlook on construction and its implications for design firms. Brian writes:
There is a saying that, “When the USA catches a cold, the Caribbean sneezes!”. It is therefore useful to have a clear understanding of the current state of business for architects in the USA so as to be better prepared for what may lie ahead for us here in the Caribbean.
As an associate member of the American Institute of Architects, I have attended the last five AIA conventions and have found them to be invaluable in that our firm keeps up with the highest international standards, latest trends and cutting edge technologies by tapping into this enormous resource. Some 18,000 architects attended this year’s convention with the largest architectural exhibition of building products and technologies available in the world. Over the years the benefits of attending these conventions has had a profound effect in helping shape the direction for our firm — in one instance, we were selected as a case study in a book to be published later this year.
There is little doubt that the profession of architecture in the USA has been hard hit by the economic downturn, with architecture suffering over 24% in job losses at this time. Certain regions have suffered more, for example California, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida, while others such as Texas remain buoyant. Also, certain building types have feared worse than others—institutional and healthcare remain buoyant whereas apartments, resorts and commercial sectors suffer a reduction in investment exceeding 50% in some cases. Understanding these nuances helps architectural firms better understand what changes are needed and how to maximize their potential and position their firms during these challenging times.
Of course, Trinidad and Tobago is unique so one must make adjustments to cater for local and regional conditions. The general consensus, however, seems to be that for the most part the building industry is bottoming out of recession with some sectors rebounding this year while others are expected to be slower to respond into 2012. It was also clear that sustainability, building information modeling and integrated project delivery techniques are the trends in demand and firms that develop these key areas of practice are going to be ahead of the recovery wave.
– Brian Lewis
below: photos taken at the 2010 AIA Convention.
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Next entry:
On the Drawing Board: Ferrostaal
Previous entry:
Newton in the News
