Construction Today - Vol 21 Issue 5 | Page 12

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advanced manufacturing , life sciences , healthcare and data centers , are fueling construction pipelines across North America .
“ At the same time , sustainability has become an increasing priority over the past few years and is part of every client ’ s strategy with varying levels of progress depending on factors such as the age of assets , organizations ’ size and maturity , and regulations . The real challenge remains in getting the industry to comprehend the cost of decarbonization with more analysis and assessment of different options . Another trend involves looking at the cost and carbon impact of both new construction and renovation . We help our clients assess those options by looking at the carbon footprint across the supply chain and how revitalizing existing assets may be an option .
“ In the commercial sector , Class A , sustainable fit outs are increasingly popular . Particularly post-pandemic , people want to return to more pleasant and sustainable working environments , so creating more sustainable spaces for work can draw people back to the office , as well as offering wider benefits to organizations , society and the environment . Similarly , for the retail sector , the rise in experiential selling is driving greater footfall . Whether it ’ s corporate occupier , retail or any of the other asset types , I think a key priority for most commercial real estate is flexibility , whether in terms of shorter lease cycles or just an increased offering of flexi spaces .
“ We don ’ t yet know what the impact of political uncertainty and interest rates will be , but we do know that policies and funding models could change . Overall , we are confident the sector will continue to grow , and we do expect the demand for real estate to be strong . I think significant public and private funding could be needed to spur some of this growth . There will be a continued rise in the size and scale of those major projects and programs I touched on
earlier , alongside their associated complexities and challenges . We will continue to help our clients navigate demand , the supply chain and cost issues , as well as help to implement the technology to increase speed to market . We ’ ll look at how we can bring those lessons learned from each project into the next to continually improve outcomes . Alongside this , with the increasing demand for talent , as leaders , I believe we can help shape the future , whether that ’ s by mentoring the next generation or increasing diversity across our industry , both in terms of race and gender .
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