What a difference a year makes. In the summer of 2008, most of the leading architecture and engineering firms in the general building sector were flush with work and times were good. There may have been clouds on the economic horizon and concerns that the fevered pace was unsustainable, but no one predicted the economic tsunami that hit in the fall of 2008.
That tsunami has washed away or delayed untold numbers of commercial and institutional projects, leaving few general building design firms untouched. While the largest of the large firms are doing well and some even are gaining market share, the smaller slices of pie available in the general building sector mean difficult economic times for at least the next 18 months, according to surveys and interviews with executives of leading firms.