In the five months since the pandemic-driven real estate shut downs began, the BD+C editorial team has authored or posted more than 135 articles dedicated to COVID-19 and its impact on the AEC market and the built environment. We’ve curated well more than 250 research reports, on-demand webinars, white papers, and articles from third-party sources in our coronavirus newsfeed. We’ve interviewed nearly two dozen AEC experts about their team’s and clients’ coronavirus response on our new streaming video show, The Weekly.
Through all of this reporting, a single common theme bubbled to the surface: Buildings are part of the problem in controlling a global health pandemic. Yet buildings—and the AEC professionals that design, engineer, and construct them—are also a major part of the solution.
From infection control strategies to 3D-printed PPE equipment to pop-up isolation units and COVID-19 testing stations, AEC firms are delivering practical, innovative solutions to complex problems during a time when their clients need it most. The axiom “innovation loves a good crisis” is playing out right in front of our eyes.
Not since 9/11 has a single event so severely rocked the foundation of the commercial building industry. As owners, developers, and property and facility managers scramble to re-open their properties and create protocols for maintaining safe and healthy interior spaces, they are turning to their AEC firm partners for guidance and support.
And much like the post-9/11 response from the AEC community, many of the best practices and innovations being instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will become permanent fixtures in the built environment (codified, or otherwise).
Take, for example, MEP design, especially for commercial office buildings. Forget the fitness centers, food trucks, and spacious lobbies—the hottest office building amenities are indoor air quality and touchless design. Technologies and design approaches that were on the fringe—bipolar ionization, UV light disinfection, enhanced air filtration—are being pushed to the forefront. Clients are investing in these systems in an effort to retain and attract tenants. These design approaches have been added to the “cost of doing business” list for commercial office owners and developers.
One side effect of the coming MEP spending boom, says Andrew Horning, Vice President with Bala Consulting Engineers, is higher energy bills for building owners. He explains COVID-19’s impact on sustainability and energy efficiency in the July 23rd episode of The Weekly. Watch on demand at: BDCnetwork.com/horizontv.
Related Stories
Market Data | Jul 21, 2020
Nonresidential building spending to decline through 2021
The commercial building sector is expected to be the hardest hit.
Market Data | Jul 21, 2020
7 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 21, 2020
Abandoned high-rise becomes mixed-use luxury apartments and researchers are developing anti-coronavirus tech for buildings.
Market Data | Jul 20, 2020
Construction employment rises from May to June in 31 states, slips in 18
Recent data from Procore on jobsite workers’ hours indicates employment may have leveled off.
Market Data | Jul 20, 2020
6 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 20, 2020
Never waste a crisis and robotic parking systems help developers optimize parking amenities.
Market Data | Jul 17, 2020
7 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 17, 2020
Kennedy Middle School's new Administration/Family Center and Tips to make optimal use of salvaged materials.
Market Data | Jul 16, 2020
Final NEPA rule will make it easier to rebuild infrastructure, reinvigorate the economy, and continue protecting the environment
Administration’s final reforms to the federal environmental review process fix problems with prior process, maintain environmental rigor, and accelerate needed infrastructure improvements.
Market Data | Jul 16, 2020
5 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 16, 2020
1928 hotel reimagined as a new resiential and cultural hub and Walgreens plans hundreds of doctor's offices at its stores.
Market Data | Jul 10, 2020
5 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 10, 2020
The world's tallest hybrid timber tower and the Florida Gators have a new $65 million ballpark.
Market Data | Jul 9, 2020
6 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 9, 2020
The world's most sustainable furniture factory and what will construction look like when COVID-19 ends?
Market Data | Jul 8, 2020
North America’s construction output to fall by 6.5% in 2020, says 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.