6 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 9, 2020

1. BIG designs The Plus, the world’s most sustainable furniture factory (BD+C)
"The nearly 70,000-sf open production facility will double as a public 300-acre park for hiking and camping."

2. North America’s construction output to fall by 6.5% in 2020, says GlobalData (GlobalData)
"Even though all construction activities have been allowed to continue in most parts of the US and Canada since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many projects in the bidding or final planning stages have been delayed or canceled."

3. Standards for reducing risk of COVID-19 in senior living communities (BD+C)
"AIA releases strategies and illustrations for the sector."

4. Construction businesses top one cohort of borrowers under Paycheck Protection Program (BD+C)
"The loans saved an estimated 17,500 construction jobs."

5. What will construction look like when COVID-19 ends? (Commercial Property Executive)
"Dramatic change is ahead for the construction industry. Here’s what owners, designers and other stakeholders need to know, says the veteran consultant and author Barry LePatner."

6. Virtual apartment showings will play vital role in leasing process even after pandemic ends (National Real Estate Investor)
"In-person tours still account for a far greater share of lease closings. But virtual tours help prospective renters narrow down their choices."

One of the hardest decisions multifamily developers and their design teams have to make is what mix of amenities they’re going to put into each project. A lot of squiggly factors go into that decision: the type of community, the geographic market, local recreation preferences, climate/weather conditions, physical parameters, and of course the budget. The permutations are mind-boggling.