The JAGG Group, a consulting and publishing company dedicated to the architecture, engineering, environmental and construction industries, ranks the apartment market as the hottest for AEC firms working in the United States in 2013.
The company’s 270-page report – The 2013 Guide to the U.S. AEC Markets – ranks 40 separate market sectors served by AEC firms within seven broader categories: residential, commercial, institutional, transportation, water/wastewater, environmental and power.
The full list is available on the firm’s blog (http://www.aecinsight.com).
“Ranking the markets according to a variety of factors, including size, anticipated growth and intangibles unique to the individual market gives some guidance to firms planning their marketing and business development approach in 2013,” says report author Jerry Guerra. “The intention is to show the relative strength various markets served by AEC firms in the United States. It is essentially a summary of the data and information presented throughout the rest of the report, which is where the real meat of these rankings lies.”
The report predicts that the multifamily-for-rent market, which enjoyed solid growth and high activity in 2012, will repeat its strong performance in 2013. The apartment market is followed in the rankings by natural gas, senior housing, transmission/ distribution and health care as the five markets anticipated to be the healthiest in 2013.
On the opposite end of the ranking for the New Year are high-speed rail, nuclear power and brownfields.
The report ranks the markets according to a weighted scale that takes into account the market’s size, short-term growth projection (2013), long-term growth projection (annualized five-year estimate) and a variety of intangible factors.
The intangible category – worth 20% of the total – is included to adjust for factors outside of size and anticipated growth. For example, single-family housing is a massive market expected to have a high growth rate in both the short- and long-term. However, because the market is recovering from such a low point, competition is high (including many small firms still starving for work) and opportunities for traditional architecture and engineering firms are limited, the “intangible” category drags the single-family housing market closer to the middle of the pack (12th overall).
To support the market sector rankings and provide more insight into their outlook for 2013, the book includes more than 150 pages of analysis. The annual report – the sixth authored by the 10-year-old JAGG Group – also includes top industry trends, an analysis of the 2012 Election results, an overview of the industry and U.S. economy, and a glimpse of international market opportunities for 2013. +
Related Stories
| Oct 29, 2013
Increased backlogs, margins lead to renewed optimism in global construction
After prolonged economic uncertainty, a majority of executives in the global engineering and construction sector have fresh confidence in the growth prospects for the industry, according to KPMG International's 2013 Global Construction Survey. A general increase in backlogs and margins is giving cause for optimism across the industry, with further growth anticipated.
| Oct 29, 2013
BIG opens subterranean Danish National Maritime Museum [slideshow]
BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has completed the Danish National Maritime Museum in Helsingør. By marrying the crucial historic elements with an innovative concept of galleries and way-finding, BIG’s renovation scheme reflects Denmark's historical and contemporary role as one of the world's leading maritime nations.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 28, 2013
Metal roofs are topping more urban dwellings
Given their durability and ease of use, metal roofs have been a common feature on rural houses for decades. Now they’re becoming an increasingly popular choice on urban dwellings as well.
| Oct 25, 2013
Hoffmann Architects announces launch of U.S. Capitol Dome restoration
The Architect of the Capitol will undertake comprehensive restoration of the 150-year-old cast iron Dome, which has not undergone a complete restoration since 1959-1960.
| Oct 23, 2013
AIA: Crowd-funding shows promise for financing real estate projects
The American Institute of Architects issued a statement on the SEC's recent 5-0 vote to propose rules aimed at letting startups tap large numbers of ordinary investors for small amounts of capital.
| Oct 23, 2013
Gehry, Foster join Battersea Power Station redevelopment
Norman Foster and Frank Gehry have been selected to design a retail section within the £8 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in London.
| Oct 23, 2013
Some lesser-known benefits of metal buildings
While the durability of metal as a construction material is widely recognized, some of its other advantages are less commonly acknowledged and appreciated.
| Oct 23, 2013
Architecture Billings Index hits seven-month high in September
AIA's Architecture Billings Index was 54.3 in September, the highest level since February 2013
| Oct 18, 2013
Meet the winners of BD+C's $5,000 Vision U40 Competition
Fifteen teams competed last week in the first annual Vision U40 Competition at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco. Here are the five winning teams, including the $3,000 grand prize honorees.