Publisher’s Message: September 2019

Anastasia Barnes

HP’s mission to promote the AEC industry in New England includes the vision to build better by embracing forward thinking ideas, new technology and innovative solutions. In my most recent Build Better interview with Kathy MacNeil, principal at MP Boston, we discuss the Winthrop Center.  When this $1.3 billion project is complete, it will be the largest passive house project in the world!  Kathy and her team have a vision that aligns with what our podcast stands for, and we look forward to following this exciting project (See page 52).


Design 4 People

The USGBC has announced its Design 4 People event.  This two-day, one-of-a-kind conference is designed to “assist the industry in fulfilling its mission to advance design and promote wellness within the built environment through initiatives in design, advocacy, education, and public engagement. d4P logoDesign 4 People is the first conference of its kind that will inspire, celebrate, energize, and help attendees discover new ways to help people through design.” The conference will be held on October 23 and 24 at The Innovation and Design Building in Boston.

Green Progress

A new report from the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance shows that the real estate industry has made significant progress over the past 10 years in reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption while increasing asset value. The Greenprint Center, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, comprises an alliance of the world’s leading real estate owners, investors, and financial institutions who are committed to improving environmental performance across the global market.

AGC on Labor Shortage

Eighty percent of construction firms report they are having a hard time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce. 

Graph displays responses from contractors in the Northeast U.S. to the question, “Do you expect any changes in the availability of hourly craft or salaried personnel over the coming 12 months?”

This is according to the results of an industry-wide survey released recently by Autodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials say the industry is taking a range of steps to address the situation but called on federal officials to take steps to assist those industry efforts.

Good to know

We received an e-mail offering a chance to receive a listing of the 20 largest projects that are currently approved in Boston. It’s good know that anyone can get that information free at http://www.bostonplans.org.

MassBio 

The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio®) released its 2019 Industry Snapshot report.  The report shows that the Massachusetts biopharma industry experienced the highest year-over-year employment growth in over a decade, adding over 4,300 new jobs from 2017 to 2018 for 6.4% growth. The chart here shows inventory growth over the past decade.

 

The last days of summer are upon us.  I know we all, at High-Profile, welcome the fall foliage and crisp weather.

Enjoy the read!

Anastasia Barnes

Read HP’s September issue, focused on educational facilities, now!