MidAtlantic City Scoop: Construction Starts in Washington D.C.
Value of New Contracts Expected to Drop by 2% in 2021 After Falling Sharply Last Year
Total non-building and non-residential work expected to tick up, while the residential sector declines.
City Grill
Mary Fitch
Executive Director
AIA Washington Chapter
Executive Vice President
Washington Architectural Foundation
Fitch says AIA DC welcomes the Biden administration focus on climate action “since that is one our big priorities as well.” Washington, D.C.’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by 50% by 2032 includes minimum thresholds for building energy performance. “The more we work to increase efficiency,” Fitch says, “the more quickly we can meet our city’s very ambitious climate goals.”
Area construction has seemed to weather the COVID storm, Fitch says, despite a slowdown in museum and higher education work. “I was told to expect major layoffs, but so far that has not happened.” Even so, challenges remain. Fitch believes “it will be a couple of years before we can say we have bounced back.”
The comeback inevitably won’t look the same from an architectural perspective. At ENR’s press time, AIA DC was planning a Feb. 11 webinar on the future of retail. Fitch says, “What our cities look like from the pedestrian point-of-view may be very different.”
