unfortunately don’t have the time to broaden your knowledge base,” he adds. The firm now has more internal seminars training employees on credentials that will serve them during a future upswing. The rise in professional development efforts is widespread, with classes filling up for training in areas such as LEED, building information management (BIM), design software, and even the new building code in New York City. Bell, Harp Jones, and Ruhle Kliesch all say they’ve seen attendance surge during recent months to AIA educational programs.
Tikku says while Ikon.5 is helping employees get additional training, most firms can probably only manage a few quarters of such expenses without the market rebounding.
Geier says design firms also are embracing broader process improvement to prepare for innovations – such as BIM and integrated project delivery – that to date have sputtered because many firms were too busy to pursue them.
The downtime even has allowed FXFowle to improve its Web site, quality control, intranet, and other routine programs, he adds.
Sizing Opportunities Where are firms seeking glimmers of hope? Many eyes turn toward Washington and the federal government stimulus package. Bell says even a few critical projects funded by that money could free budgets locally for next-tier projects.
Stimulus funding is already sparking school and road building projects in New Jersey, says Ruhle Kliesch.
Other areas showing promise are higher education, K-12 education, and health care. Geier says FXFowle recently added an assignment at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and also is handling projects for the State University of New York and the New York City public schools.
Davis Brody Bond Aedas’ Williams says health care work should also remain active because of demographic trends fueling need for more hospital beds and better facilities. “That is one sector I feel is recession-proof,” he says.
The downturn has also likely tilted some clients to renovation and adaptive reuse. Geier says FXFowle has landed “repurposing” assignments, including a Manhattan office building, a century-old structure at Cornell University, and a new integrated technology center within existing space at SUNY Purchase.
As for a broader turnaround, few report solid signs, but there are scattered hints. For instance, D’Orazio says his real estate broker contacts told him phone activity over the summer was picking up after many quiet months. Brand says his office has been fielding calls from developers who seem to be studying new project sites. Geier says his firm found more proposal opportunities over the summer than six months earlier. And Harp Jones reports modest upticks in the sale of AIA contract documents and firms seeking names from her chapter’s résumé bank.
“It’s coming from small firms, not big ones yet,” she says. “At this point, to see one person hired is worth a smile.”
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