Metal Construction News, January 2021

Source of actuals U S Census Bureau Forcasts ConstructConnect Chart ConstructConnect CanaData Metal Buildings and Small Businesses Meet Opportunity and Challenges By Art Hance President Metal Building Contractors Erectors Association Source of actuals U S Census Bureau Forcasts ConstructConnect Chart ConstructConnect CanaData Theyre part of a vision for Washington D C a city that has been a model and a memorial of many things over the years As we rethink our place in nature in the 21st century now may be the right time to rethink what it is we wish to memorialize and to model Like many cities climate adaption requires a comprehensive plan for urban water that reshapes the landscape here Softening and hardening strategies help to resist rising sea levels Berms and walls protect memorials while wetlands and living shorelines soften the edges Daylighting the overstressed city gives stormwater ways to provide paths for the discharge of flood water Rebuilding riverine habitats may be the key to saving the symbols of our democracy in the nations capital A Contingency Plan Design thinking tells us that while we are designing buildings and planning cities for now we also need to consider the ability to accommodate a changing or non stationary future one which doesnt always look like the past It tells all of us in the planning and building industry to look beyond property lines as we apply outside the box thinking for ill defined problems that often yield unintended consequences Architects and planners will engage with scientists and engineers to envision human habitation in the cities of the future space travel and terraforming Well need the dexterity that design thinking embodies as we encounter a future looking for other places to live A recent anthology of stories called Hieroglyph Stories and Visions for a Better Future shows a certain optimism found in the writings of solarpunk and science fiction writers like Neal Stephenson Their vision may not be so much science fiction as science reality Rick Harlan Schneider AIA APA LEED AP is principal ISTUDIO Architects Washington D C He is a champion for sustainable design and his unrelenting commitment to climate action transforms the architecture profession and leads communities to a more equitable and resilient future Schneiders service as a board member includes the Virginia Tech College of Architecture Design the U S Green Building Council NCR and the AIA Committee on the Environment His award winning work has been published in Metropolis Dwell Forbes and the New York Times Sometimes we volunteer for things and then realize just how difficult fulfilling that promise can be Predicting what our industry will look like in 2021 is anyones best guess when faced with the effects of COVID 19 an unknown outcome of widespread vaccination a new administration issues related to trade and the likelihood of international conflicts which will impact oil and commodities I hope I will be lucky my insights will be accurate and all you readers will comment about how smart I am The above mentioned challenges play out daily in every business in our country especially for small business Owners make decisions based on their level of confidence that if they move ahead with a project they will be able to address the debt service incurred While our company has been blessed with the largest year over year increase in our history l am still cautious in how I deploy our resources to position us for growth while protecting us should we experience another catastrophic downturn The good news is that some companies like ours are thriving in this new economy where the pandemic has created opportunity To help prepare for this column I spoke with Greg Pasley Ph D CEO BlueScope Buildings North America Inc Pasley reports that the metal building market is strong and rebounding well even after some geographies were impacted severely by COVID 19 shutdowns He spoke of the role we play in supplying and building for essential industries which was recognized early on and the fact that metal building construction in much of the country has proceeded safely through the pandemic As mentioned above certain market segments are thriving and are well served by metal buildings such as pharma warehousing e commerce logistics agriculture food processing data centers and many others One word of caution The Office Building Market Office tower construction is running into the headwind of the work from home movement Developers are mopping their brows worrying and wondering about the degree to which home offices will become the rule The pendulum will undoubtedly swing back towards greater office attendance once again There are too many advantages Proximity aids collaboration and training But many individuals are liking the extra time spent with family rather than on the road or in a subway car Some form of hybrid scheduling of home versus office appearances will become common with many companies Manufacturing and Some Engineering Categories to Gain from Single Family Uplift The manufacturing sector in the U S can take encouragement from several recent developments Both the new USMCA agreement and the Buy America platform adopted by the Democrats protect and promote U S jobs The disruptions in supply chains with linkages to Asia earlier this year are giving rise to de globalization efforts But capacity utilization rates among manufacturing sub sectors will need to increase well past the 70 levels theyve generally been stuck at before January 2021 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS 25 www metalconstruct ionnews com