A Global Overview: The Mortal Case of An Architect

Survey

A Global Overview

The Mortal Case Of An Architect

International Architects Sweden conducted a brief survey among architects worldwide to gain insight into the industry.
The collected data indicates that the economic crisis has impacted certain European countries, and there are challenges in other regions due to various ongoing issues.

Collage created by International Architects Sweden. Sources: Grete Stern Self-portrait 1943, and Imperial War Museum/Oxford Journals.

The construction industry in Sweden has noticeably slowed down in the past two years. This has resulted from many factors such as Sweden's overall economy slowing down since 2023, the high interest rates imposed on housing schemes, and inflation.

The unemployment rate amongst architects in Sweden has been the highest since the '90s recession, however, the market is expected to improve by 2026.
One of the risks the profession faces is architects leaving the industry, leading to a skills shortage when the market recovers.
International Architects Sweden conducted a brief survey among architects worldwide to gain insight into the industry elsewhere.
The collected data indicates that certain European countries have been impacted, and there are challenges in other regions due to various ongoing issues.

The survey results may not be fully conclusive due to the small sample size. However, the main topic of global discussion is sustainable architecture and the professional challenges faced by architects, including the negative impact of a commercially driven market on the quality of their work.

While the profession is booming in some parts of the world and the shortage of skilled architects is reported, there is a slowdown in other regions due to factors such as inflation, cost of materials, government policies, poor economy, and the aftermath of COVID-19.

Collected Data

May-August 2024

Platform

Google Form

Number of Participants

52

Gender

Female (36%), Male (40%), Unknown (24%)

Participants' Profession

Architect

Number of Countries

32

Countries

Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia, Vietnam, UAE, UK, USA

Continents

Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Europe/Asia, Middle East, North America, Oceania, South America

Disclaimer: The collected data and comments are based on the participants' perspectives and opinions. It does not represent the majority’s opinion, nor an organisation, and is not strictly conclusive about the current situation in each country or continent.

Countries Participated

Continents

Number of Participants

Africa 5

Asia 4

Southeast Asia 4

Europe 22

Europe/Asia 3

Middle East 2

North America 6

Oceania 3

South America 1

Has the construction industry slowed down in your country of residence since 2023?

Reasons Behind The Slowdown

Which sectors are currently booming?

Top 4 Booming Sectors

Which sectors are currently struggling?

Top 4 Struggling Sectors

Have Architects Been Made Redundant During The Last Two Years?

What Is The Unemployment Rate Amongst Architects

1 = Low Unemployment Rate
5 = High Unemployment Rate

Trending Topics Of Discussions

Additional Thoughts

The participants were asked to give further comments and share insights into what they found relevant to the issues currently faced in the industry. Below are some of their responses.

Diversity is becoming much more pushed in practice as young aspiring architects from underrepresented backgrounds are now pursuing architecture more than ever.

UK

In this part of the world, architects face the challenge of scope creep and low fees.

Singapore

The profession has to find ways to give upcoming architects hope to believe in the profession and what it has to offer to their future. Hence there is a need to redefine paradigms.

Nigeria

Lots of architects have recently been made redundant due to workload jumping up and down. It’s hard to manage staff and projects.

Australia

My experience is limited to Bavaria which is always doing better than other counties in Germany.

Germnay

Architects should think about sustainability. Although it is a client-oriented market people demand luxury here, which can be a negative aspect of architecture.

Pakistan

Currently, we can notice the profession booming, especially in the transport and hospital sectors. Despite a strong demand, the housing sector is facing some problems due to a lack of planning and finance.

Senegal

It is hard for young, minority ethnic graduates not speaking Danish to find jobs. Many leave after some months.

Denmark

Architects need to add more services to their portfolio, especially ESG, sustainability and energy.

Germany

The Indian context is unique as there are a lot of opportunities.

India

Accept freshers.

India

Most architects are moving abroad rather than working in Lebanon.

Lebonan

I am based in San Francisco which is heavily impacted by the changes occurring in the Tech industry, so may not be reflective of the national picture.

USA

We are part of the solution to climate change but forced to work in a market-driven environment, often hindered rather than helped by government policies. The EU green deal brings hope, the ongoing war in Ukraine makes life hard. To put it simply :)

Netherlands

Further Insignts

To better understand global issues affecting the profession, IAS has interviewed architects from different countries and continents. These professionals offer unique perspectives and valuable insights into the industry in their local contexts and regions, and in relation to the global scale. Read more.