Industry Experts Release Recommended Guidance on Design Assist vs. Delegated Design

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Over the past few years, the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Steel Construction have worked together to study design collaboration techniques commonly used in the construction industry. As a result of this joint effort, the AIA and AISC have published a paper titled “Design Collaboration on Construction Projects. Delegated Design, Design Assist, and Informal Involvement – What Does it all Mean?” Along the way, the AIA and AISC discovered the terms “design assist” and “delegated design,” while commonly used in the industry, often mean different things to different people. These differences often result in differing expectations … Read more

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Architecture Billings Continue Growth into 2020

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Starting the year on a strong note, architecture firm billings strengthened slightly in January, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects. AIA’s Architecture Billings Index score of 52.2 for January compared to 52.1* in December reflects an increase in design services provided by U.S. architecture firms (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). Indicators of work in the pipeline, including new project inquiries and new design contracts remained positive, posting scores of 57.9 and 56.0 respectively. “Despite the continued presence of volatility in the economy, design activity has begun to accelerate in recent … Read more

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AIA Releases Updated Construction Management Contract Documents

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The American Institute of Architects is releasing thirteen new and updated Construction Management documents, including the Construction Manager as Constructor and the Construction Manager as Adviser families. CMcs are brought on in the beginning of the preconstruction phase of a project to provide collaboration and input, which allows for greater efficiency from project inception. They also perform the construction. The AIA Documents Committee received input from representatives of major CMc firms to update the CMc documents. Substantive changes that were made to the CMc documents include greater flexibility to establish the CMc’s preconstruction phase services, and a provision permitting the … Read more

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Architecture Billings Remain Flat in May

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Demand for design services in May remained essentially flat in comparison to the previous month, according to a new report from The American Institute of Architects. AIA’s Architecture Billings Index score for May showed a small increase in design services at 50.2, which is slightly down from 50.5 in April. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings. Both the project inquiries index and the design contracts index softened in May but remained positive. “The last four consecutive months, firm billings have either decreased or been flat, the longest period of that level of sustained softness since 2012,” said … Read more

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Construction Employment Climbs by 52K in January to 11-Year Peak

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Construction employment increased by 52,000 jobs in January and by 338,000 jobs, or 4.7 percent, over the past year, while the latest reading on construction spending showed moderate increases in all major categories, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials urged government officials to strengthen career and technical education programs and facilitate immigration for workers with construction skills before a worker shortage stalls completion of needed infrastructure. “There has been no letup in demand for construction projects—or workers,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Even though the industry added … Read more

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