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Architects Feel the Hit

A recent article in Architectural Record describes the economic downturn's effect on design firms, and the gloomy forecast for the forseeable future. According to the article, retail and hotel building will fall 10 per cent in 2009, with office construction constricting by 12 percent. While some regional banks for still making loans for projects that are not speculative, even this activity is undercut by fundamental problems in the construction industry, one of the most important being the steep rise in prices of construction materials.

Institutional projects are being impacted as well. Public projects are typically financed by bonds, and voter support this year is extremely uncertain. As for private schools, endowments are typically invested in the stock market, the volatility of which is front page news every day.

The article finds one potential bright spot --- for firms that are able to diversity with international projects. Since this article was published (October 15, 2008), however, it has become painfully clear that the economic downturn is global. To read the entire article, click here. (This entry published by Karen Carey, a member of Womble Carlyle's Real Estate Development and Construction Law practice groups.)

Full post as published by Womble Carlyle Constrution Industry Blog on October 31, 2008 (boomark / email).