As the U.S. construction industry continues to rebound from the downturn in the past economic cycle, "The Business of Architecture: 2014 AIA Firm Survey Report" shows that design activity at architecture firms has recovered to pre-recession levels.
Most firms have seen revenue levels at least stabilize, if not finally begin to grow with gross billings at architecture firms increasing by 20% from 2011.
Key findings include:
- With losses during the economic downturn, architecture firms have become smaller and younger with 43% having been founded since the year 2000, with one-third of those firms founded just since 2010.
- Renovations of existing facilities account for a larger share of design activity than during the last construction boom.
- Nearly two-thirds of large firms worked on international projects in 2013.
- Over a third of architecture firms nationally—and virtually all larger firms—were using some form of BIM for billable projects.
- Twelve percent of firms are using energy modeling software for billable projects.
- Twenty-one percent of firms have worked on one or more projects that incorporate resilient design strategies.
- Even with most of the institutional building category remaining in recession in 2013, this sector generated half of the billings at architecture firms.
- Within the institutional category, education facilities accounted for 21% of overall billings.
The full survey is available for purchase here.
Related Stories
| Feb 22, 2011
HDR Architecture names four healthcare directors
Four senior professionals in HDR Architecture’s healthcare program have been named Healthcare directors.
| Feb 15, 2011
Iconic TWA terminal may reopen as a boutique hotel
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hopes to squeeze a hotel with about 150 rooms in the space between the old TWA terminal and the new JetBlue building. The old TWA terminal would serve as an entry to the hotel and hotel lobby, which would also contain restaurants and shops.
| Feb 15, 2011
New Orleans' rebuilt public housing architecture gets mixed reviews
The architecture of New Orleans’ new public housing is awash with optimism about how urban-design will improve residents' lives—but the changes are based on the idealism of an earlier era that’s being erased and revised.
| Feb 15, 2011
LAUSD commissions innovative prefab prototypes for future building
The LA Unified School District, under the leadership of a new facilities director, reversed course regarding prototypes for its new schools and engaged architects to create compelling kit-of-parts schemes that are largely prefabricated.
| Feb 15, 2011
New 2030 Challenge to include carbon footprint of building materials and products
Architecture 2030 has just broadened the scope of its 2030 Challenge, issuing an additional challenge regarding the climate impact of building products. The 2030 Challenge for Products aims to reduce the embodied carbon (meaning the carbon emissions equivalent) of building products 50% by 2030.
| Feb 15, 2011
New Urbanist Andrés Duany: We need a LEED Brown rating
Andrés Duany advocates a "LEED Brown" rating that would give contractors credit for using traditional but low cost measures that are not easy to quantify or certify. He described these steps as "the original green," and "what we did when we didn't have money." Ostensibly, LEED Brown would be in addition to the current Silver, Gold and Platinum ratings.
| Feb 15, 2011
AIA on President Obama's proposed $1 billion investment in energy conservation
The President’s budget increases the value of investment in energy conservation in commercial buildings by roughly $1 billion, reports AIA 2011 President Clark Manus, FAIA. The significant increase from the current tax deduction of $1.80 per sq. ft. now on the books is an increase for which the AIA has been advocating in order to encourage energy conservation.
