TOP Trends In The Civil Engineering & Architecture Recruiting Marketplace for 2020/2021

Since 2017, much of America has experienced a fairly consistent sense of turmoil. In spite of this, firms in the A/E marketplace view the remainder of 2020 with a guarded sense of optimism. This encouragement is largely due to the anticipation that a federal infrastructure bill will be passed, funding for clean energy projects and… 

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The talent shortage: Will the training the AEC industry desperately needs arrive in time? A/E Executive Search GCA International

It may not be in every AEC industry news headline, but it’s a reality every overworked project team member knows well.  The talent shortage in AEC is affecting many professionals on multiple levels.  As Technology becomes an ever-increasing reality in our daily work lives, productivity expectations, to do more with less, grows. 

Just in case you’re not experiencing this in your corner of the world, here are a few headlines to get you caught up; “Shortage of skilled construction workers in growing industry”, “As construction heats up, so does skilled worker shortage”, “Where did all the skilled labor go?”, “Changing Roles, Technology, and the birth of the super foreman” As the construction industry bounces back from the Great Recession, an entirely new class of tech-savvy construction professionals has been created, and the supply of these highly skilled, tech-proficient pros has been quickly exhausted. Not since the introduction of the power tool has technology played such a large role in the growth of construction.

 

ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING EVENTS

• Each spring, AEI hosts either an AEI Conference or an AEI Forum for individuals with an interest in architectural engineering. Each offers a unique opportunity to network with architectural engineering professionals, stay current on industry knowledge, and earn continuing education credits. 

• UPCOMING AEI EVENTSAEI CONFERENCE 2021APRIL 7–9, 2021Virtual EventAEI Conference 2021 will explore challenges architectural engineers of tomorrow must face beyond energy efficiency—challenges related to carbon, materials, water, climate, and human health and wellbeing.LEARN MORE

 

The Talent Transition: 16 Trends That Will Transform A/E/C Recruiting Strategies

Since its nascence, the practice of architecture’s success centered on the individual and collective talents of those who comprised the design studio. With the advancements of modern management theory, non-design professionals augmented the firm’s talent pool to increase profitability and expand both market share and reach. Technology, burgeoning national wealth and inter-border trade initiatives created a more global marketplace for American design services, whose success was, as always, contingent on finding and keeping the right people.

Each new fiscal year brings to the design community unique challenges the result of which mandates tweaking previous strategic planning initiatives. Whether they relate to diversity, market share, new market penetration, ownership transition, or increasing profitability and shareholder wealth, achieving target objectives all stem from one common root: talent.

From its inception, DesignIntelligence has existed to help design firm thought leaders better anticipate and respond to trends in the marketplace through careful research and thoughtful analysis. After interviewing a diverse cross-section of human resource professionals, executive recruiters and academic placement staff, this author identified 16 key talent trends crystallized into four major categories.

Market Forces Trigger Responses

1. Fluctuations in the global economy are triggering fear-based staffing responses.

With memories of the economic free-fall of Autumn 2008 still fresh enough to be scary, firms who have put all of their eggs into China’s basket or those of the once oil-rich nations of the Middle East saw January usher in multiple project postponements and even cancellation of key projects in the design phase. One global firm who was recruiting multiple senior project executives in the more rapidly developing Chinese provinces cancelled the searches and, in even one case, intercepted an offer letter that was being FEDEXed to a candidate for acceptance.

2. Turmoil in the domestic financial markets slows institutional hiring.

On the domestic front, the almost 1,000-point drop in the Dow during the first part of the 2016 dramatically reduced the net value of appreciated stock donated to fund institutional health care, academic and cultural projects. As a result some of these which were just entering the design or construction bid phase have been temporarily tabled and their production staff, idled to conserve cash flow. Also, mergers in the pharmaceutical, health care, retail and corporate arenas are eliminating five-year capital improvement programs and the announcement that major retail chains such as Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Sears, Kmart, Penny’s and others are closing hundreds of underperforming stores will have a trickle down effect later this year on those firms specializing in retail rollouts as bargain-priced existing shells hit the real estate market.

Carrying unbillable staff and their associated overhead costs in hope of a quick fix or alternate project win to transfer the team to may have been the way business was done in the past but, for most firms already operating with razor-thin profit margins, it’s not anymore.

3. A/E firm mergers and acquisitions will increase, not decline.

Last April, Architect magazine reported that 78 percent of architectural and interiors firms stated that their five-year strategic plan included either a merger or an acquisition. As firms attempt to enter strongly performing geographic and target markets, they are finding that experience — the barrier to entry — can be mitigated through adding one of the recognized players in the field to the fold. Recent mergers such as Nebraska-based DLR Group with Washington, D.C.-based Sorg Assocates; East Coast powerhouse RTKL with West Coast powerhouse Callison, HOK’s acquisition of 360 Architecture and AECOM’s final integration of URS this past December are just a few past examples of the kinds of future marriages the industry will witness by the end of the year.

4. Free-lancing, contract positions expand to fill project teaming demands.

The appeal of remote work is growing and individuals who value work-life balance over career and financial stability are stepping into key assignments. One talented senior architect specializing in sustainable design left a top management role at an established firm and now consults exclusively on a wide variety of projects around the country. “I used to spend hours each week in meetings discussing things like health insurance, 401(k) plans, reprographic contracts and underperforming market sectors. I didn’t even feel like an architect anymore. Now, I do what I want. I have more time with my family and I bring home a lot more money than I did before.” Firms like Archipro, Aerotek and Aurstaff are just a few of the architectural staff firms in the United States marketplace who have transitioned from lower-level production help to senior, specialized experienced professionals to augment full-time professional staff at a substantially lower overall cost.

5. Workplace demographics are undergoing a dramatic shift.

Known as the “brain drain” by many, this year thousands more baby boomers will leave the industry as a result of retirement (forced or voluntary) or obsolescence generated by the aggressive mergers and acquisition movement. According to US Politician, 10,000 people from the baby boomer generation now retire every day. According to U.S. Census data, it is estimated that approximately one third of the A/E workforce is over 55 and that number is expected to increase by 47 percent in the next 15 years. With their exodus from the profession goes an incredible amount of technical, institutional and cultural knowledge for which most firms don’t have established knowledge transfer programs in place. While millennials aspire to leadership positions but lack the experience, we can expect corporate organizational structures to accommodate the change.

6. Young professionals are entering the workplace faster.

On June 29, 2016, NCARB will implement its complete overhaul of its Intern Development Program (IDP) which consolidates 17 core experience areas into six practice categories that expedites the path to licensure for new graduates, enabling them to undertake more substantive responsibilities earlier in their careers than before. NCARB also announced plans to let a select group of institutions let M.Arch and B.Arch students complete IDP requirements and take the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) 5.0 before graduation, a process that previously took two years after graduation to complete. According to NCARB, the organization will establish a committee that will guide the selected schools in the implementation process and work with state registration boards and jurisdictions to ensure that laws and regulations are in place to grant access to the ARE.

7. Diversity and diversity awareness increasing in importance.

In 2000, 25 percent of those who completed the IDP were women, compared to 38 percent in 2014. More established firms are proactively looking to increase the number of woman in their management ranks, especially at the C-suite level; one recent example is Perkins+Will’s announcement that a female CFO will replace her retiring male predecessor. Author Lydia Dishman says, “Diversity generates new ideas, creativity and innovation, but it’s important to find the balance between people who are disruptive and those who simply bring different points of view. Successful organizations are populated with those who go above and beyond because they like and believe in the company regardless of gender.”

Racial and ethnic minorities are up from 22 percent to 41 percent in just seven years. More important, SCOTUS’ legalization of same-sex marriage and federal mandate of related legal and financial benefits has resulted in firms whose benefits packages haven’t kept pace with societal changes losing out on top young talent for whom these issues can be deal-breakers when evaluating firm offers. Complicating the diversity arena is the uncharted territory surrounding the accommodation of transgender candidates and, as a precautionary measure, savvy firms are adding “gender identity or expression” to its EO nondiscrimination policy — prohibiting not only discrimination, but also harassment, in its EO policy or a comparable document and ensuring that “gender identity or expression” is included in lists of reasons not to discriminate or harass workers.

8. Young(er) professionals are looking for more than money.

Referred to in the business press as “The Millennial March”, a research study by PWC revealed that, by 2020, Generation Y will make up 50 percent of the work force. These tech savvy professionals have grown up computer proficient and expect to be recruited, onboarded and evaluated through social programs and mobile software applications. Anecdotal evidence reveals that millennials have shorter spans than Generation X or baby boomers; accept opportunities to learn and grow then move on; trend toward smaller, more personal firm environments and seek firms whose values and culture more closely align with their own.

 

Historic Mass-Timber and High-Strength-Rebar Code Proposals Make Headway – A/E Executive Search – GCA International, LLC – Architecture & Engineering Specialists – Frank J Rivelli Executive Search Consultant GCA International, LLC

Proponents of two historic code changes—one to allow taller mass-timber buildings and the other to allow use of higher-strength reinforcing steel—are optimistic after recent ballots at two different meetings moved the proposals closer to acceptance by code officials and standards developers.

The American Concrete Institute committee that oversees ACI 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary, on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas, gave preliminary approval for the use of high-strength rebar in several types of building construction.

“For now, the hardest part of the journey has been cleared,” says Andres LePage, a professor and director of laboratories in the department of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Kansas.

Structural engineers who support the changes are particularly interested in the proposed increase in allowable steel yield stress for seismic design of shear-wall and moment-frame seismic-force-resisting systems. The changes would be a game changer for seismic design and reinforcement detailing of structural concrete buildings, they say.

Reduced Rebar Congestion

The approval of high-strength steel for seismic zones would reduce rebar congestion and could permit the construction of stronger walls, beams and columns without increasing their size.

Under the proposal, the maximum value of yield stress permitted for use in design of flexural and shear reinforcement for moment frames would be increased to 80 ksi. The maximum value of yield stress permitted for use in design of flexural and shear reinforcement for structural walls would be 100 ksi.

For seismic applications, the code currently allows 60 ksi rebar. It only allows 80 ksi for nonseismic applications.

LePage was the co-lead investigator of tests on high-strength rebar, conducted at the university. ACI is using the data from the research to support the increase in the allowable limit on rebar grade in seismic zones.

Still ahead is a review by ACI’s technical advisory committee, followed by a public discussion period.

“Time is of the essence,” says LePage. “These activities need to occur within a very tight schedule” for the proposals to be included in the 2019 version of ACI 318, which will be adopted by reference into the 2021 International Building Code (IBC), published by the International Code Council (ICC).

Mass Timber

The other historic change would be the adoption of provisions, also in the 2021 IBC, to allow mass-timber framing in residential and office buildings as tall as 270 ft. On Oct. 24, at the ICC’s final action hearings in Richmond, code officials voted 220 to 103 to increase the height limits for mass timber buildings, according to Mike Pfeiffer, ICC’s senior vice president of technical services.

The ICC’s online voting, which runs for two weeks beginning mid-November, will determine whether the primary proposal, called G108–along with the other 13 related proposals on mass timber also approved on Oct. 24–will actually be included in the 2021 IBC. Preliminary results of the online tally will likely be announced in mid-December.

Official results will not be announced until early to mid-January, after the ICC’s validation committee, called the technical activities committee, reviews both the proposals and an outside audit of the online voting, and reports to the ICC standards board. The board has the final say.

ICC’s ad hoc committee on tall wood buildings (TWB) “studied mass timber construction for two years prior to introducing these code change proposals, including conducting numerous fire performance tests,” said the American Wood Council (AWC), in a statement released after the Oct. 24 vote. “The result of that rigorous process is that each of the new proposed construction types has had its fire and life safety performance confirmed, resulting in a robust building performance.”

TWB is introducing three new types of construction for the Type IV classification of buildings, each with different height possibilities based on occupancy classification and the design of the mass-timber system.

Structural elements of Type IV construction are primarily composed of solid, built-up, panelized or engineered wood products, such as cross-laminated timber, that meet minimum cross-section dimensions. None of the new types of construction proposed permit use of light-frame construction.

18 Stories

For top-of-the-line IV A residential and office-building construction–which would have a three-hour fire rating and the timber totally encapsulated in gypsum board rather than exposed–the code would allow a height up to 18 stories, which is equivalent to 270 ft, according to Stephen DiGiovanni, TWB’s committee chairman and the fire protection engineer for the Clark County, Nev., Dept. of Building and Fire Protection.

For IV B residential and office construction, which would have a two-hour fire rating and the timber mostly but not completely encapsulated, the limit would be 12 stories or 180 ft.

For IV C construction, which would have a two-hour fire rating and totally exposed mass timber, the limit would be 85 ft or nine stories.

The current allowance for heavy timber buildings is 85 ft. That translates to five stories for residential occupancies and eight for office. For IV C, TWB is not proposing an increase in height but is proposing an increase in the number of stories allowed–to nine for both occupancies.

For IV C, “we were very conservative,” says DiGiovanni.

 

ASLA JOINS WE ARE STILL IN MOVEMENT – A/E Executive Search – GCA International, LLC – Architecture & Engineering Specialists – Frank J Rivelli Executive Search Consultant GCA International, LLC

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has joined We Are Still In, a national coalition of 3,500 states, cities, companies, and organizations that remain committed to achieving US greenhouse gas emission reduction targets outlined by the Obama administration as part of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Nancy C. Somerville, Hon. ASLA, SITES AP, ASLA’s executive vice president and CEO, will attend the We Are Still In Forum in San Francisco on September 12, as part of the Global Climate Action Summit, the first-ever climate summit designed exclusively for leaders from the private sector and local government to highlight meaningful solutions to climate change and raise the bar for action.

ASLA leadership has identified climate change as a strategic focus in recognition of the threat it poses to people and the planet. Landscape architects play a major role in addressing climate and resilience issues, both through their work and through national and local advocacy. They plan and design “smart growth” communities; create low-carbon, safe, and active transportation systems; use green infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce flooding; and increase community health and resilience by designing and planning sites, communities, and regional strategies in concert with natural systems.

“By joining together, we strengthen our ability to take action,” says Somerville. “ASLA’s participation in We Are Still In enables us to reinforce the urgent need to build healthy, thriving communities through evidence-based design and planning and to help protect them from the impacts of climate change.”

ASLA is one of 34 signatories in We Are Still In’s cultural organization category. Others in this category include the American Public Gardens Association; California Academy of Sciences, host of the event; The Field Museum in Chicago; and the Phipps Conservatory, which has the first pilot project to have received the maximum four stars from Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES®) for its Center for Sustainable Landscapes.

ASLA’s Climate Change Resources

The Smart Policies for a Changing Climate guide. The recommendations of the ASLA Blue Ribbon Panel on Climate Change and Resilience, which convened September 21-22, 2017.

The Resilient Design Guide. explains how communities can better protect themselves from natural disasters through resilient landscape planning and design.

Landscape Architecture and Climate Mitigation guide

Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes – presents case studies and animations.

SITES® – describes the latest information about SITES^®, a set of comprehensive, voluntary guidelines together with a rating system that assesses the sustainable design, construction, and maintenance of landscapes.

About the American Society of Landscape Architects

Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is the professional association for landscape architects in the United States, representing more than 15,000 members. The Society’s mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education and fellowship. Sustainability has been part of ASLA’s mission since its founding and is an overarching value that informs all of the Society’s programs and operations. ASLA has been a leader in demonstrating the benefits of green infrastructure and resilient development practices through the creation of its own green roof, co-development of the SITES^® Rating System, and the creation of publicly accessible sustainable design resources.

 

AIA Releases 13 New And Updated Contract Documents – A/E Executive Search – GCA International, LLC – Architecture & Engineering Specialists – Frank J Rivelli Executive Search Consultant GCA International, LLC

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is releasing 13 new and updated contract documents today that will assist architects and contractors with protecting their projects and businesses.

“The AIA Documents Committee routinely reviews its legal agreements to ensure they reflect the latest trends and nuances we’re seeing in the industry,” said AIA Contract Documents & Risk Management Managing Director Kenneth Cobleigh, Esq. “By doing so, we ensure the design and construction industries are working under the best agreements possible for their businesses.”

AIA Contract Documents regularly works with architects, contractors, subcontractors and owners to ensure AIA contracts and forms meet industry needs. One of the most notable changes among this set of updated contracts, includes the new Contractor-Subcontractor Master Agreement and its accompanying work order. The new agreement allows a contractor and subcontractor to agree to a predefined set of terms and conditions that will apply to multiple scopes of work. Another significant update is the Joint Venture Agreement for Professional Services, which was revamped to address the significant legal implications associated with joint venture business relationships. Other notable changes include the:

·         Master Agreements, which now align with the 2017 core AIA document updates.

·         Instructions to Bidders, which now includes designation of Bidding Documents in electronic form or paper copy.

·         Architect-Consultant Agreement for Special Services now includes the copyrights, licenses and payment provisions of the prime agreement. Mediation was added as a condition precedent to binding dispute resolution.

The following is a complete list of new and updated forms and agreements being released:

·         A121^TM–2018, Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Owner and Contractor where Work is Provided Under Multiple Work Orders

·         A221^TM–2018, Work Order for Use with Master Agreement Between Owner and Contractor

·         A421^TM–2018, Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Contractor and Subcontractor Where Work is Provided Under Multiple Work Orders

·         A422^TM–2018, Work Order for Use with Master Agreement Between Contractor and Subcontractor

·         A701^TM–2018, Instructions to Bidders

·         B121^TM–2018, Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Services Provided Under Multiple Service Orders

·         B221^TM–2018, Service Order for Use with Master Agreement Between Owner and Architect

·         C101^TM–2018, Joint Venture Agreement for Professional Services

·         C402^TM–2018, Standard Form of Agreement Between Architect and Consultant for Special Services

·         C421^TM–2018, Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Architect and Consultant for Services Provided Under Multiple Service Orders

·         C422^TM–2018, Service Order for Use with Master Agreement Between Architect and Consultant

·         G709^TM–2018, Proposal Request

·         G711^TM–2018, Architect’s Field Report

The new and revised 2018 documents are currently available online with an unlimited access license or as a single, customizable document. AIA contract documents are also available as single, non-editable documents and as paper versions through some AIA Chapters. Visit AIA Contract Documents’ website for more information.

About AIA Contract Documents

AIA Contract Documents are the nearly 200 forms and contracts that define the relationships and terms involved in design and construction projects. Prepared by the AIA with the consensus of owners, contractors, attorneys, architects, engineers, and others, the documents have been finely tuned during their 120-year history. As a result, these comprehensive contracts and forms are now widely recognized as the industry standard. Used by all industry professionals, including architects, contractors, owners, consultants, and attorneys, AIA Contract Documents are organized into two categories: by families, based on types of projects or particular project delivery methods, and by series, based on the parties to the agreement or the use of the form. Visit www.aiacontracts.org

About AIA Documents Committee

Since its inception in 1887, the AIA Documents Committee has been an AIA committee dedicated to creating and revising AIA Contract Documents. Qualified applicants for the AIA Documents Committee are licensed architects and members of the AIA actively engaged in the design and construction industry through employment in architectural firms or construction companies, or for building owners or developers. New members are appointed to maintain a balance of viewpoints based on diversity, including geography, firm size, practice type, and area of expertise.

 

2018 AIA Innovation Awards Honor Two Design Projects – A/E Executive Search – GCA International, LLC – Frank J Rivelli Executive Search Consultant GCA International, LLC

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is recognizing two exceptional design projects with its 2018 Innovation Awards. Complete details for each awarded project are available on AIA’s website.

The Innovation Awards recognize the exemplary use and implementation of innovative technologies and progressive practices among architects, designers, collaborators and clients. Awarded projects must support the design, delivery and operation of buildings or research in practice and academia. This year’s recipients for the 2018 Innovation Awards—which were selected by AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community—are as follows:

Category B: Project Delivery & Construction Administration Excellence

Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, Allston, Massachusetts | Shepley Bulfinch

Category D: Practice-based or Academic Research, Curriculum or Applied Technology Development

Stalled! | Joel Sanders

Visit AIA’s website for more information on the Innovation Awards.

About AIA

Founded in 1857, AIA consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through more than 200 international, state and local chapters, AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing.

AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation, and world. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards.

 

2019 AIA President William Bates, FAIA, calls for more inclusive culture in architecture profession – A/E Executive Search – GCA International, LLC – Frank J Rivelli Executive Search Consultant GCA International, LLC

Architects, planners and historic preservationists called for change in the design profession at the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s symposium.

The event, “Shifting the Landscape: Black Architects and Planners, 1968 to Now,” on September 28, examined equity and diversity issues in the architecture profession following civil rights leader Whitney M. Young Jr.’s keynote speech 50 years ago.

“Today, achieving diversity in the profession of architecture to mirror the broader society we serve is still a work in progress,” said 2019 AIA President Bill Bates, FAIA. “Ultimately, it is up to every architect to act on Whitney Young’s call to action … and we should remember that Mr. Young’s message, half a century ago—and throughout his life – was one of hope and the unshakable belief that one voice can be a catalyst for positive change.”

Young, who was the esteemed executive director of the National Urban League, delivered a keynote speech to the AIA National Convention in 1968 where he challenged architects to do more to address civil and social issues.

“At the end of the day, this issue reflects on our profession, making it our responsibility to lead the change we seek,” said Bates. “It is up to our generation to lay the foundation for positive change for those who will follow. It is clear to me that diversity will be an important part of our nation and the profession of architecture’s long-term success.”

Following Young’s speech, the AIA created the Diversity Advancement Scholarship, which provides financial support for underrepresented minority students studying architecture. Since that time, the AIA and the Architects Foundation have expanded the program to include as many as 20 recipients. Complete details of the scholarship are available online.

About AIA

Founded in 1857, AIA consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through more than 200 international, state and local chapters, AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing.

AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation, and world. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards.