AIA Firm Survey examines health, profile and evolving structure of architecture firms

by Marcy Marro | November 7, 2022 12:00 am

Since 2005 the share of design projects involving renovations, rehabilitations, additions, and historic preservation grew 14%, now accounting for 48% of billings at U.S. architecture firms, according to a new survey from the American Institute of Architects[1] (AIA).

The 2022 AIA Firm Survey: The Business of Architecture, examines topics such as firm billings, staffing, and international work and offers metrics that provide insights into how architecture firms are operating and evolving. The full survey is available for purchase here: http://www.aia.org/FirmSurvey[2]

Key highlights include:

Share of multidisciplinary firms continues upward trajectory, from 27% in 2002, 36% in 2011, to 44% in 2021.

• 29% of firms reported that providing services to underserved communities is one of the core missions of their firm. On average, 10% of projects at architecture firms in 2021 were for work that served underserved communities.
• 60% of large firms reported having a sustainability or climate action plan in 2021, in contrast to 21% of midsize and 9% of small firms.
• Use of BIM software for billable projects among small firms increased substantially in 2021 to 52%, up from 37% in 2019, as usage remains nearly universal among midsize and large firms.
• While architecture firms continued to report the largest share of billings from institutional projects in 2021 (43%), the share of billings from residential projects increased significantly, rising by 10 percentage points from 18% in 2019 to 28% in 2021.

“Larger firms are continuing to see market share increases, as firms with 50 or more employees now account for more than half of those employed in private practice,” said Michele A. Russo, LEED AP, AIA Vice President of Research & Practice. “While the long-term impact of this trend is unknown, the fact larger firms are more likely to develop sustainability or climate action plans bodes well for AIA’s climate action goals.”

Access the complete 2022 Firm Survey Report on AIA’s website[3].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/news/industry-news/aia-firm-survey-examines-health-profile-and-evolving-structure-of-architecture-firms/

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