5 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 24, 2020

1. Two eight-story residential towers and a dining commons complete on Cal Poly Pomona’s campus (BD+C)
"In an attempt to eliminate its reputation as a commuter school, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) has recently completed construction of two new eight-story residential towers and a dining commons."

2. New LEED guidance from USGBC helps cities and communities expand resilience efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (USGBC)
"Between the increasing risks associated with climate change and the current public health crisis, the new LEED credits provide additional ways to integrate public health and social equity into sustainability and resilience efforts."

3. North Carolina will stop relying on FEMA flood mapping (BD+C)
"Instead, the state will strive to compile its own data. Officials say FEMA maps have not been updated quickly enough based on recent experience. As proof, they say that more than 77% of homes damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 were not located in federally designated flood zones."

4. Company buying Gold’s Gym out of bankruptcy has business model to reshape entire U.S. gym industry (Bisnow)
"One of the nation's largest gym brands, Gold's Gym, is about to be acquired out of bankruptcy by German company RSG Group GmbH. RSG is an omnichannel brand, known for its digital workout offerings as much as its footprint of gyms across Europe."

5. U.S. homebuilder optimism continues recovery as buyers return (Bloomberg via National Real Estate Investor)
"The housing market continued to attract buyers looking for more space and attracted by low interest rates."

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.