AIANY president’s message: Architect|Activist

By Guy Geier, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP

The past year has been an exciting one for the design and construction industry in New York City. We witnessed remarkable growth in many market sectors especially in residential construction. Meanwhile, new government policies may significantly alter the type of projects being worked on over the next few years. 

New York City is poised to initiate some of its largest construction projects since the Bloomberg era. With the use of design-build, the city is ready to tackle gigantic projects, including a series of borough correctional facilities that will replace Rikers Island. With more design-build authority for the city on the horizon, we may also be witnessing a shift in construction work from the private to public sector.

While new construction of some high-end residential seems to be stalling, this is not to say there will be a lack of opportunities in the private sector in affordable housing and office construction. “Green jobs,” such as energy retrofits, spurred on by new legislation, should be a big part of the future. Newly-elected U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leading the charge in Congress for a “Green New Deal,” while council member Costa Constantinides is pushing for mandatory retrofitting in city hall, something AIANY supports. 

Even the parts of the city where work is available are changing. Brooklyn should continue to grow with both office and residential projects. Long Island City, already a booming market, will likely see even more growth with Amazon’s arrival. The Bronx has seen the biggest changes, with large projects no longer just restricted to Mott Haven, but occurring throughout the borough.

Change is certainly in the air in the city’s design and construction industry. While we may have gotten comfortable in the patterns of the past decade, the coming changes could mean some very good things for our built environment. AIA New York’s members are especially hopeful and will continue to champion a more equitably designed New York City in the coming years.

Guy Geier, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, is the 2018 president of AIA New York and managing partner of FXCollaborative Architects LLP, New York, N.Y.