Finance & Commerce Article – Feb 16, 2010
Midwest Masonry Promotion Council
By Craig Hinrichs AIA – MMPC Executive Director
The Midwest Masonry Promotion Council is a grassroots organization of masonry contractors, masonry producers and masonry suppliers now in our second year of masonry promotional efforts regionally. The masonry industry is currently being hit hard by the economic recession and it’s members are always willing to hear news of economic forecast especially when it comes from the architectural community which is in the same boat albeit upstream.
On January 22, 2010 the Minnesota Concrete Masonry Association (a founding member of the MMPC) held their annual awards ceremony at the International Market Square to honor the best concrete masonry projects of the year as determined by a jury of architects. Featured speaker at the event was Steve Fiskum AIA, the chief operating officer of HGA Architects and Engineers who gave a relevant presentation titled “Game Changing Trends in A/E Project Delivery.“
The following market trends were amongst those presented by Fiskum with comment as noted:
1. Institutional Markets will be strongest. The CEO’s of Americas top ten A/E firms agree that top job prospects will be in healthcare, education and federal projects in that order. Market share will be followed equally by office, retail, hospitality and housing.
2. Construction projects will be smaller in size and involve more renovation of existing buildings. “Old will be the new green”.
3. GSA government construction projects will center on “green” construction techniques. Construction materials such as masonry will be favored for their sustainable qualities.
4. There is a shift toward greater value in construction with emphasis on life-cycle cost analysis. There will be a move away from short-term disposable structures.
5. The internal structure of design and construction firms will change to accommodate transitions in the construction industry based on a changing American populace.
6. Smart technology and project delivery modes such as BIM (Building Information Modeling) will outshadow traditional methods.
Mr. Fiskum’s elaboration on market trends from his perspective in the architectural/engineering business was of great interest to a masonry industry audience interested in where the next construction projects might come from and how they could be in the right place at the right time. The masonry industry does stand to be in the right place with a construction material that has been proven for centuries as the most sustainable building material available.
Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2010
