Follow this tag to curate your own personalized Activity Stream and email alerts.
The nationwide demand for labor is dulling, but construction still faces a shortage of workers. Construction counted 363,000 job openings at the end of July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a decrease of 23,000 jobs from June. — Construction Dive
As noted by the chief economist for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Anirban Basu, job openings, across all industries, are at the lowest level since March 2021, and the rate at which workers are quitting their jobs has returned to the pre-pandemic norm. The demand for construction... View full entry
Outdoor dining along New York City streets, one of the rare pandemic-era accommodations that proved popular, is set to become permanent — but in a way that could drive many restaurant owners to take down their streetside sheds for good. — The New York Times
A New York City Council bill introduced in February that will make outdoor dining structures in roadways permanent through a licensing system was passed last week. The move aims to preserve the popular program while being able to exert more control over it. One stipulation is that roadway... View full entry
Remote work is second nature for Generation Z, many of whom graduated college and started careers during the pandemic. And yet, many are now transitioning to in-person work as they look for more workplace connections, learning opportunities and socialization with coworkers. That means figuring out what kind of workspace environment will keep Gen Z workers interested, is becoming a higher priority. — worklife
According to the 2023 Global Workplace Survey Comparison by Gensler, there has been a sudden split, spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, in the workplace preferences for Gen Z workers compared to older generations. To start, the findings reveal that Gen Z workers place more value on learning... View full entry
LMN Architects is celebrating the near completion of its expansion and renovation of The Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts in Washington. Located on Bainbridge Island, the new Buxton Center will create a stronger connection to the island by "reorienting its entry sequence to the axial... View full entry
But even in the haze of construction, a seemingly endless swirl of workers, cranes and girders, the enormous scope of the project is coming into focus as its futuristic new home rises in Exposition Park: a grand homage to one of the nation’s best-known filmmakers, and a massive repository for an eclectic collection of 100,000 paintings, photographs, book illustrations and comic book drawings. — The New York Times
Following a series of legal issues, criticism, construction delays, and the pandemic, the long-awaited MAD Architects-designed $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art finally seems to be on track to complete. Since breaking ground in 2018, the project’s opening has been pushed back... View full entry
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced a new grant program that aims to spur climate action across the city through nonprofit organizations and small businesses. Designed in partnership with the Department of Planning and Development’s Chicago Recovery Plan Initiative, the Climate... View full entry
A single-toilet public restroom planned for San Francisco’s Noe Valley Town Square is expected to take two years to build, but it’s already causing a stink. The reason: its $1.7 million price tag. — Los Angeles Times
The proposed restroom would sit within a 150-square-foot enclosure within the town square, located in central San Francisco. While there are no designs for the project available, it is expected to be delivered by 2025. According to the city, the high price tag is meant to account for unexpected... View full entry
The Partnership for New York City has surveyed more than 160 major Manhattan office employers over the past two weeks to get a sense of the number of employees that have returned to office work or are still working remotely. They found that 49% of workers were at their office workplace... View full entry
According to CBRE's new 2022 U.S. Construction Cost Trends report, nationwide industry price levels have posted the largest increase in years, driven by labor shortages, inflation, supply chain disruptions, the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. CBRE forecasts a... View full entry
According to a new report by apartment search website RentCafe, New York City is projected to deliver the most newly-built apartments in 2022, claiming the top position for the first time since 2018. Despite pandemic-induced setbacks in the last two years, New York City is expected to... View full entry
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, multifamily developers and builders have had their work cut out for them as they try to budget for their lumber needs. After months of wild fluctuations, lumber futures fell to their lowest level in a year earlier this month, according to lumber price data from NASDAQ. They have since reversed course, and currently stand at just under $600. — Multifamily Dive
As reported by Multifamily Dive, two pandemic-induced bubbles, in which lumber futures rose to record highs in the thousands of dollars, popped, dropping to below $500. The producer price index, a measure of the average changes in prices received by producers, for softwood lumber fell 22.6% in... View full entry
Roughly 2.4 million New York City tenants will face the biggest rent hikes they’ve seen in nearly a decade after the Rent Guidelines Board approved the increases in a split vote Tuesday night at Cooper Union. — Gothamist
The mayor-appointed nine-person panel, which determines rent adjustments for the approximately one million rent-stabilized apartments in New York City, voted five to four to increase rents by 3.25% for one-year leases and 5% for two-year leases. The rates fall in the middle of ranges approved... View full entry
Kate Fowle, who became director of MoMA PS1 in 2019 and barely had the chance to lead the museum as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, abruptly announced on Friday that she was stepping down as of July 15 from the museum in Long Island City, Queens. — The New York Times
“This has been an extraordinary opportunity to lead MoMA PS1 over the last (nearly) three years and to work with all of you alongside our Board, patrons, and funders,” Fowle said in an email to museum staff according to The New York Times. “I want you to know that I have deep respect and... View full entry
Brooklyn-based architectural design practice SITU and the Design Trust for Public Space have announced the launch of Turnout NYC, a community-oriented initiative that aims to transform underutilized spaces into vibrant and accessible venues for arts and culture, while highlighting underrepresented... View full entry
When a recession hits, architects often take it in the gut. The design sector has traditionally been one of the losers of a market downturn, with big real estate developments being put on hold and the need for architectural design services kicked down the road. But during the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, architecture has been surprisingly robust. — Fast Company
According to the 2022 Otis College Report on the Creative Economy, an annual report by Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles that tracks the economic health of creative industries in California, architecture has been the most resilient sector. This is compared to creative goods and... View full entry
