How The Infrastructure Bill Impacts Construction and Architecture

On the 15th of November 2021, President Joe Biden signed the largest federal investment infrastructure bill into law. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a $1 trillion package that is designed to provide essential investment in the construction industry alongside creating a range of new jobs across the country.

What is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act?

The bill is the biggest infrastructure investment in a generation, bringing existing initiatives firmly into the modern world and helping them to meet the demands of green energy, changing population patterns, and emerging urban lifestyles.

The bill covers a range of core areas, including:

- Roads, bridges, and major projects

- Public transport

- Passenger and rail freight

- Airports

- Port and Waterways

- Water

- Clean energy and power

- Electric vehicles, buses, and ferries

- Broadband

- Infrastructure resiliency

- Environmental Remediation

- Safety

What is the impact on construction and architecture?

This once-in-a-generation bill is going to have a huge impact on countless industries, in particular, the construction and architecture worlds. The construction industry will be providing nearly all of the labor for every program, but the current talent shortage is going to create significant pressure in the short term. However, in the long-term will generate more demand for jobs and provide sustained growth opportunities for contractors.

For architects, the bill will see a substantial increase in demand for their services. Architecture will play a crucial role in meeting the demands of modern society, and these professionals will need to work closely with State and local agencies, city planners, and construction companies to ensure these upgrades and repairs meet legislation.

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Top 5 Design Tools

What can you add to your repertoire to strengthen your designs?

Good lighting, a ruler, and a writing utensil are obviously mandatory tools needed for projects. But what are some of the more abstract or underutilized tools that designers can use? We listed our top 5 tools below, let us know how we did!

Tool 1

Drafting Board

Tool 2

Lining Pens

Tool 3

Drafting Brush

Tool 4

French Curve

Tool 5

Paper Trimmer

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Start NOW???

Is Now the Time to Start a Design Business?

There will never be a perfect time to start a business, but when you choose to enter a market, it can affect the level of your success. So what’s the design market like right now? According to a recent Yahoo Finance article, pretty good! Make sure to check out the entire article, as we will be featuring only a few of the key points below!

Asia-Pacific Countries (APAC)

“APAC will account for 35 percent of market growth. In APAC, China, Japan, and India are the most important markets for interior design services. The market in this region will increase at a quicker rate than the market in other regions.”

Where is the demand?

“Residential, commercial, government, corporate, and public construction activities are all on the rise.”

Although there may be well-established firms in place, the risk of starting a design business may be slightly mitigated if you plan on participating in APAC areas. Always be sure to do your research to get a holistic view of the market!

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