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Comparing
business practices and firm performance are keys to
managing a successful practice—but you can't necessarily
call your competitors and ask. With the new AIA Firm
Survey report, we've surveyed more than 2,800 AIA member
firms and collected the data points you need to gain
valuable insight and information on today's architecture
marketplace. |
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Key
Findings: Firm Billings
Gross
revenue at architecture firms declined from more than
$44 billion in 2008 to $26 billion by 2011, a 40 percent
decline over this three-year period. As owners and
developers more aggressively managed the design and
construction costs of new projects, they created
pressure on design fees and construction bids. In
addition, more than two-thirds of architecture firm
billings were from projects for repeat clients, an
increase of 10 percentage points from 2005.
Key
Findings: Profile of Staff
The
significant reduction in firm revenue produced a
comparable reduction in employment, as positions at
architecture firms have generally followed the path of
the broader construction industry. Due to the heavy
reliance of architecture firm revenue on nonresidential
construction activity, payroll positions continued to
grow through mid-2008. They then dropped sharply through
early 2011 and have hardly recovered since that point.
Between 2007 and 2011, more than 28 percent of positions
at architecture firms disappeared, a share that greatly
exceeded the gains during the earlier upturn.
Other
Findings
The AIA Firm Survey
provides insight into other areas as well, including
profile of firms, liability insurance, and international
work. Among the findings:
- Until the construction
recovery strengthens, firms will be hesitant to fill
full-time positions, relying more heavily on part-time
and contract staff.
- The share of firm
billings from renovations, rehabilitations, additions,
and other construction projects increased
substantially in the last three years, although new
construction projects still account for the largest
share of billings overall.
- Institutional and
residential projects account for a larger share of
firm billings in 2011 than in 2008, while the share of
billings from commercial/industrial projects
declined.
Essential
Information
Read the information
pertinent to your firm size, net billings, client type,
and other firm characteristics, then use this essential
data for successful practice management. Available as a
complete report, by chapter topics, or reports based on
firm size, the AIA Firm Survey is essential data for
successful practice management. Purchase the report exclusively at the AIA
Store. |
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Also
Available: the AIA Compensation Survey
The AIA Economics and Market Research group is also
responsible for the AIA Compensation Survey, compiled
from a survey of U.S. architecture firms. It offers
compelling information on compensation data for 39
architecture firm positions in 29 states, 32 metro
areas, and 12 cities. Whether you read the complete
national report or one of the nine regional reports, you
will have a better understanding of your
value. |
