6 must reads for the AEC industry today: September 3, 2020

1. New affordable housing in the Bronx is designed for both seniors and teens (BD+C)
"Designed by Body Lawson Associates and located on Freeman Square in the Foxhurst section of the Bronx, the building comprises 63 affordable apartments averaging 550 sf each."

2. The online learning lab: Investing in resources to improve hybrid learning models (Cannon Design)
"The unfortunate reality is this pandemic continues to persist, and while institutions have successfully developed and deployed online models to continue educational programming, it’s clear the in-person experience is irreplaceable."

3. California releases guide for state water policy (BD+C)
"Water Resilience Portfolio is roadmap for meeting water needs as climate changes."

4. Coronavirus has caused significant construction project delays and cancellations (AGC)
"Sixty percent of responding firms report having at least one future project postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus, while 33% report having projects that were already underway halted because of the pandemic."

5. 8 noteworthy multifamily projects to debut in 2020 (BD+C)
"Brooklyn's latest mega-development, Denizen Bushwick, and Related California’s apartment tower in San Francisco are among the notable multifamily projects to debut in the first half of 2020."

6. U.S. Real Estate Pain Leaves Foreign Investors Holding the Bag (Bloomberg)
"Foreign investors who backed real estate projects in return for U.S. visas are emerging as losers in the pandemic-driven commercial property crisis."

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.