The AIA Foresight Report, developed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and produced in cooperation with the Greenway Group, highlights key trends in the architecture marketplace. The report is intended to be a tool to help architecture firms develop their own solutions by providing research that applies to the current and future practice of architecture.
Some of the key data points in the AIA Foresight Report include:
• More than half of design firm leaders in North American expect growth for 2014 and 2015
• More than half of the respondents of the AIA Work-on-the-Boards survey felt that merger and acquisition activity among architecture firms would increase
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates approximately 18,600 architecture jobs will be added to the U.S. economy between 2012 and 2022, which represents a greater-than-average growth rate of 17%
• Design firms are exploring alternative ways to attract and retain key talent, including flexible work plans (hours and location) that allow for better work/life balance, improved work environments, profit sharing programs, fringe benefits, and ongoing education
• Public-private partnerships (P3’s) are growing in the U.S. as a project delivery method as both the federal government and several states change policies and regulations
• Crowdfunding and crowdsourcing signal major changes in the role of users and clients in the design process
• AIA and the acting Surgeon General emphasize that all architecture presents an opportunity to positively influence public health
AIA members can access the AIA Foresight Report at no charge but is available to the public to purchase for $10 here. This report serves as a follow-up to the 2013 AIA Foresight Report.
