6 must reads for the AEC industry today: April 13, 2020

1. The role of higher education housing in fighting COVID-19 (Clark Nexsen)
Distance learning, remote work, and the need for emergency medical facilities may forever change the way these spaces are designed and use—and a new emphasis on serving the community, regardless of primary function, has emerged.

2. How prefab can enable the design and construction industry to bring much needed beds to hospitals, faster (Autodesk)
The outbreak of COVID-19 represents an unprecedented test for the global healthcare system.

3. HGA and The Boldt Company devise a prefabricated temporary hospital to manage surge capacity during a viral crisis (BD+C)
A STAAT Mod system can be ready to receive patients in less than a month.

4. Only 69% of apartment residents have paid April rent, but that number isn't the full story (Bisnow)
Only 69% of apartment households in the U.S. paid their monthly rent by April 5, falling by 12% from the collection rate recorded a month ago, according to data released by the National Multifamily Housing Council Wednesday. The percentage of households that have paid their April rent also fell 13% from the same date in 2019, NMHC said

5. Cushman & Wakefield launches Recovery Readiness Task Force (Cushman & Wakefield)
The Recovery Readiness Task Force (RRTF) to lead the development of best practices, products and partnerships to prepare clients for post-COVID-19 recovery and the eventual return to the workplace. Additionally, Cushman & Wakefield has launched a new office design concept on its website, which can be found at www.SixFeetOffice.com, showcasing a new social distancing program developed by the firm and being piloted in The Netherlands.

6. Design competition focuses on reducing urban heat island effect (BD+C)
An international design competition hosted by the United Arab Emirates’ Department of Municipalities and Transport is focused on reducing the urban heat island effect.

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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.