30th Annual Architect Survey
by Jonathan McGaha | February 24, 2016 12:00 am
Reports on the commercial construction industry from 2015 have generally been positive across the board, and the metal construction industry-as evidenced by the results of the 30th Annual Metal Architecture Architects Survey-fit neatly within those results. Throughout the year, the industry has picked up steam and architects have grown increasingly bullish. Many report, anecdotally, that they are busier than ever. The one area of concern in the construction industry seems to be the residential market, which has begun to tail off in the latter part of 2015.
In 2016, architects can expect continued growth. The 2016 Dodge Construction Outlook predicts U.S. construction starts for 2016 will grow 6 percent to a total of $712 billion. That comes on the heals of a 13 percent increase in 2015 (which far outstripped Dodge’s anticipated 9 percent growth for the year.) FMI Corp., Raleigh, N.C., expects construction spending to reach $1.09 billion in 2016, with manufacturing spending leading the way. Other strong markets will be lodging, office, amusement and recreation. The National Association of Home Builders predicts housing starts for 2016 will hit 1.26 million with 877 of those coming in the single-family housing market. The association warns that shortages of labor, lots and building products could constrain growth.
Not only is the construction industry as a whole growing, we also see from our survey that designers and architects were increasingly likely to specify metal building products in 2015. Compared to the specification from 2014, in particular, we see significant increases in metal roofing, metal wall panels, metal building systems and metal framing systems.
Percentage of Respondents Who Specify Metal Building Products
General Statistics
The respondents to the 30th Annual MA Architect Survey represent architectural and engineering firms almost exclusively. The majority of respondents represent the ownership of those firms, and-matching the industry-more than 50 percent of respondents come from firms doing less than $1 million in annual billings. Still, nearly a quarter of respondents come from large firms billing more than $10 million. For the most part, the firms represent an even swatch of America, although there is a slight tendency for representation from the West.
Nearly 20 percent of our respondents report that business in 2015 increased more than 10 percent, and the largest cohort (more than 50 percent) saw increases up to 10 percent. There was some decline among our respondents, with about 25 percent reporting a drop in billings, with the vast majority of that group reporting less than a 10 percent decline.
Company Type
Position in Firm
Company Location
2015 Approximate Billings
2015 Billings vs. 2014 Billings
Metal Roofing
Growth in the specification of metal roofing increased again in 2015, with our respondents showing a 4.6 percent increase in specification on new construction and a 9.2 percent increase on renovation projects. This rate of growth is slightly lower than respondents reported last year, but still showing a growing preference for metal roofing against alternative roofing materials.
Projections for 2016 indicate the trend will continue, although nearly 10 percent of respondents say they will specify fewer metal roofs in 2016. Still, fully a third of participants suggest that 2016 will lead to more metal roof specifications, while 57 percent anticipate the rate of specification to hold steady.
Unsurprisingly, low-slope standing seam roofing is the most often specified type of metal roof, although batten seam shows significant participation. Across the country, eastern architects show the most likelihood to specify low-slope standing seam. That group is also more likely to specify metal roofing for smaller buildings than other regions.
In total, about 40 percent of the metal roofing specified will be for buildings less than 10,000 square feet.
Percentage of Respondents’ New Construction Projects that Include Metal Roofing
Percentage of Respondents’ Renovation Projects that Include Metal Roofing
Amount of Metal Roofing Projected in 2016 Compared to 2015
Types of Metal Roofs Specified
Metal Roofing Projects Specified, According to Building Size
Percentage of Respondents Who Specify Retrofit Metal Roofing for Existing Buildings
Metal Wall Panels
Metal wall panels showed a nice increase in the rate of specification for 2015 compared to 2014. For new construction, the increase nationally totaled 7.6 percent and 12.8 percent for renovation projects.
As with metal roofing, architects also expect to increase the specification of metal wall panels in 2016, with more than a quarter indicating they will increase the rate, while a third suggest the rate will remain constant for 2016. Those rates hold steading regardless of the regional of the country, although architects in the Midwest report a greater likelihood to specify fewer metal wall panels in 2016.
The most often specified type of metal wall panels is concealed fastener (58.5 percent), while architects still have a high propensity to specify exposed fastener and corrugated.
Percentage of Respondents’ New Construction Projects that Include Metal Walls
Percentage of Respondents’ Renovation Projects that Include Metal Walls
Amount of Metal Wall Panels Projected in 2016 Compared to 2015
Types of Metal Wall Panels Specified
Metal Buildings and Metal Framing Systems
In last year’s survey, about 20 percent of our respondents reported they had specified a metal building system. This year’s respondents indicated about 25 percent have specified a metal building system in the previous year. This year, our respondents indicate that the 2015 number is actually a decline compared to 2014. Both of those are for new construction. On the renovation side, more than 10 percent of our respondents specified a metal building system in 2015, which was up more than 7 percent from the previous year.
About 20 percent of these respondents anticipate specifying more metal building systems in 2016, with more than a third anticipating specifying about the same amount. Only 10 percent see a potential decline in 2016.
Architects and designers specifying metal framing systems will increase in 2016, with more than 26 percent reporting an increased likelihood to specify in 2016. More than a third will specifying metal framing systems at the same rate.
Percentage of Respondents’ New Construction Projects that Include Metal Building Systems
Percentage of Respondents’ Renovation Projects that Include Metal Building Systems
Amount of Metal Building Systems Projected in 2016 Compared to 2015
Amount of Metal Framing Systems Projected in 2016 compared to 2015
Green Technologies
For the last several years, we have asked architects and designers whether they will specifying metal building products as a way to achieve LEED designation for buildings, and over that time we have seen a regular decrease in that likelihood. That trend reversed in 2015, and 34 percent of our respondents (compared to 26.3 percent in 2014) suggesting they will look to metal building products to achieve LEED designation.
The reporting on cool metal roofing over the years has not suggested a clear trend in any direction for architect’s preference for this technology. The results of this year’s survey further muddy those waters, and the best conclusion we can draw is that there is no real trend line for an increase or decrease in the use of cool metal roofing among our respondents.
With the plummeting energy prices, you could anticipate that architects and designers may be shying away from alternative energy sources, but our survey shows that they are specifying solar technology at the greatest rate of any year we have asked this questions, with more than 38 percent of respondents saying they specified solar technology in 2015.
Asked to project for 2016, the respondents seemed to be reluctant to draw strong conclusions, with the majority of them
(57.6 percent) saying they would specify solar technology when possible.
Percentage of Respondents Who Specified Metal Building Products to Achieve LEED Designation
(Note: Data for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 are from the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 surveys respectively.)
Percentage of Respondents Who Specified Cool Metal Coatings
(Note: Data for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 are from the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 surveys respectively.)
Percentage of Respondents Who Specified Solar Panels, Photovoltaics or Solar Films
(Note: Data for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 are from the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 surveys respectively.)
Anticipated Usage of Solar Panels and Photovoltaics in 2016
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/30th-annual-architect-survey/