Industry News: COVID-19 Updates and Healthy Buildings  

McKinsey & Company's report, "How Construction Can Emerge Stronger After Coronavirus," presents an analysis of the building industry's current disruptions and predicts the trends that will shape our "next normal" as we return to the workplace. The article also offers seven actions that will help us prepare, including accelerated rollout of digitization and bolstering supply chain resilience.

Dodge Data & Analytics leads off its website, Construction.com, with a continually updated, running list of articles that present analysis of the current condition of construction on a state-by-state basis. Topping this week's list is an update on construction in New Jersey, which is slated to reopen on May 18.

Four HKS Architects staffers teamed up to write "How Design Will Shift to Accommodate Post-COVID-19 Multifamily Living," posted on the firm’s website. They point out that while single-family homeowners have more leeway to adapt their homes to new spatial needs dropped on us so suddenly by COVID-19, many apartment tenants feel boxed in by intractable surroundings. The article explores balcony variety, mudrooms, hidden spaces, flexible workspaces, and access to light and air for home offices of the future, and presents some case study drawings that put these concepts to work.

Despite the fact that a number of states have declared construction an "essential service" that has allowed job sites to remain open, Construction Dive reports that the construction industry lost 975,000 jobs from March to April. The brief uses stats from the Associated General Contractors, which calls the 13 percent overall workforce drop the worst in the industry's history.

More than 1,700 people from all facets of the building industry signed up to take part in the May 7 NIBS COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall: Preparing for Re-entering Buildings, which honed in on the topics of indoor air and water safety, public transportation, and the "new normal" for interior public and private spaces. Hosted by NIBS President/CEO Lakisha Woods and moderated by NIBS Chair Carl Hedde, the 90-minute virtual meeting featured subject matter experts Dr. G. Scott Earnest, Acting Director for the Office of Construction Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Thomas H. Phoenix, Principal, CPL Architects & Engineers, PC; Treasurer, NIBS Board of Directors; Fellow, ASHRAE; Henry H. Chamberlin, President/Chief Operating Officer, BOMA; Daniel Nichols, Assistant Director of fire/life safety, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad; and Pete DeMarco, Executive Vice President of Advocacy & Research, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).

Construction Dive web site featured an article explaining the workings of Triax's Proximity Trace, a system that uses "trace tags" attached to construction workers’ helmets to track their proximity to each other and the duration of their interactions. By providing audible and visual alarms when workers come within close proximity to each other, the system reminds workers to properly distance on the worksite. In addition to actively alerting workers who are in close proximity, the tags collect worker interaction data and maintain a log of interactions with other tags as well as the duration of those interactions. Data made available in minutes can help track and therefore limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Massachusetts High Technology Council has assembled a team of experts to help operationalize the White House "Opening America" framework for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The team has produced a report, "The War on COVID-19," which outlines a framework for the state’s recovery and return to work. The plan centers on sequencing segments of the workforce returning to work, according to risk to lower hospitalization rate; while waiting for a vaccine, implementing effective treatments to curb hospitalization and fatality rates; and implementing policies and procedures to reduce the rate of spread.

Inspired by a recent panel discussion with their firm and three leading mechanical engineering firms, Gensler staff pulled together a collection of tips from MEP experts on how to improve indoor air quality to meet the challenge of viral threats. The primer covers methods to eliminate airborne pathogens in existing buildings, as well as design strategies for new buildings.

Last year, Autodesk partnered with FMI to survey more than 2,500 construction professionals worldwide. Participants were asked to rank the level of trust within their own organization and between collaborators on projects. The study suggests that businesses and project teams not only can measure trust, but actively improve it. Construction firms can take proactive steps to build stronger relationships, deliver more certain outcomes and, ultimately, improve their profitability. The survey report, "Trust Matters: The High Cost of Low Trust," is available for free download.

Dwell magazine's Jennifer Baum Lagdameo penned “Architects and Designers Weigh in on the Future,” from discussions with members of seven firms who predict what work will be like after the COVID-19 crisis, and we adjust to the "new normal." Take a look at designs that promote social distancing, teleworking, and new ways to make workwise connections.

The Office of the Interagency Security Committee recently led the development of Critical Infrastructure Operations Centers and Control Rooms Guide for Pandemic Response on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This document, geared toward all 16 critical infrastructure sectors, provides considerations and mitigation measures for operations centers and control rooms, but can be applied further to any critical node that is required to continue functioning in a pandemic environment.

To better understand the degree of impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry, Dodge Data & Analytics conducted a survey of 172 contractors across the U.S. from March 19 to March 31. The results of that study, published in the Keeping Business Going in a Time of Crisis: Findings from the Dodge Contractor Panel Study on Contractors’ State of Business During the COVID-19 Outbreak white paper, reveals that most contractors are feeling at least some impact. Dodge has also made a suite of tools for contractors and other construction industry professionals available on its website.