A full year and more of Covid-19 prompted the cancellation of a number of architectural projects, but also, according to a just-released report from the American Institute of Architects, opened up new business opportunities for certain firms, depending upon their design focus.
The report, Business Opportunities & Sustainability Trends Amidst a Pandemic, indicates that overall, the pandemic’s impact on both commercial and institutional nonresidential projects was negative.
But at the same time, reflecting a 2020 boom in home building, the demand for architectural services on single-family home projects increased.
The report was done in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based Oldcastle Building Envelope, a company specializing in wall, storefront and entrances designs.
While clients were not particularly interested in sustainability issue last year, the report notes, architects working on such projects were also not negatively impacted during the covid outbreak and economic shutdown.
In fact, the report indicates that nearly 80% of surveyed architects said they have been successful in finding clients who were interested in healthy buildings issues.
In a statement, Robert Ivey, chief executive officer of the American Institute of Architects, said the report indicates that “growing concerns over building design from the pandemic and public awareness will continue to drive the refurbishment, expansion, and remodeling markets throughout 2021.”
Ivey added that “as the end of the Covid-19 crisis comes slowly into view, it is clear that the pandemic-induced recession created two contrasting economic realities: a strong residential market and a weakened nonresidential market.”
In a separate finding, the AIA has just released its Architecture Billings Index for May showing new projects accounting for 58.5 on the index (with any score above 50 indicating an increase in billings).
Those numbers suggest a post-pandemic recovery in the industry: last year at this time, the same index came in at 32.0.
By Garry Boulard
