Deep Retrofits Next Market for Struggling Architects

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) have co-published a new guide for architects on deep energy retrofits. But this is not just a technical design guide; instead, the report explains why deep retrofits offer architects a good business opportunity and outlines the financial arguments and incentive programs needed to sell retrofit designs to clients.

Let the hard times roll

The report, Deep Energy Retrofits: An Emerging Opportunity, says that as of March 2013, employment in architectural services was 28% lower than the 2008 high. The downturn in new construction and design, however, revealed a market that may hold even greater potential. The 2012 AIA Firm Survey showed that architecture firms received 42% of their billings from renovation projects and that renovations accounted for the majority of projects for small firms.