The legacy of a recession on the design world is seldom evident while firms struggle through it. But there is potential for big changes in the disciplines. “In downturns, in recessions, even in the Great Depression, different ways of doing things emerged, says Rick Bell, executive director of the American Institute of Architects New York City chapter.
The downtime presented by lighter project rosters gives designers of all stripes time for “introspection” and a chance to “reexamine their process and look at ways to seriously improve the process of design and construction,” says Guy Geier, senior partner at FXFowle of New York. “So you’re seeing, I think because of the slowdown, people embracing things like [building information management] and integrated project delivery and other process improvement ideas that, when things were go-go-go, nobody had the time to figure out.”