Serving a changing architectural community

The architectural community has struggled through this recession. Faced with two years of declining business, firms have downsized, cut services and, for many, closed. According to a Jan. 20 New York Times article, employment at architectural firms nationwide was 184,600 in November, down almost 18 percent from its peak of 224,500 in July 2008. And in a recent AIA survey, 18.8 percent of respondents said their firm would be considerably smaller in 2010 because of downsizing; 3.9 percent said their firm would probably close this year.

In our architects issue in May, we would like to feature some of the products and services that architects are demanding in this changed economy, and we would like your input. Please email me or post a comment to the following questions if you’d like to share your thoughts. And thanks!

• In your experience, what is the glass and glazing education level of architects? How much do they know about the latest industry products? What types of products are they expressing the most interest in?
• How often do architects turn to your project managers for guidance on a project? What services are they asking you to provide?
• How have the changes in firms (downsized staff and services) affected the way you do business with designers?
  

--By Katy Devlin, associate editor