38 Handbook of Green Building Design and Construction

embracing this emerging green phenomenon. And although the world of

building design and construction has over the last couple of decades been
increasingly going green, it has today become an integral part of our global
culture. The enthusiastic embracement of green and the increased public
awareness of its benefits has brought increasing pressure on the construc-
tion industry to undergo a fundamental change in the manner it does busi-
ness and executes projects. This significant development has proved to be
a milestone in the construction industry. Moreover, according to a 2008
Green Building Market Barometer online survey of commercial real estate
executives conducted by New York City–based Turner Construction, even
the 2008 credit collapse has failed to adversely impact the desire of property
developers to go green. This debunks one of the many myths that green
building is a fad but rather validates the fact that it is global and here to
stay. In fact, in McGraw Hill Construction’s recent (2011) Construction
Outlook, it predicted an increase in overall US construction starts for
2011. It predicted the level of construction starts in 2011 to advance by
8% to USD 445.5 billion, following the 2% decline predicted for 2010.
Furthermore, based on the research and analysis of macrotrends McGraw-Hill
Construction’s 2011 Construction Outlook made other significant predic-
tions for each construction sector, as follows:
1. Single family housing in 2011 will climb 27% in dollars, corresponding
to a 25% increase in the number of units to 565,000 (McGraw Hill
construction basis)
2. Multifamily housing will rise 24% in dollars and 23% in units, continu-
ing to move gradually upward
3. Commercial buildings will increase 16%, following a 3-year decline,
which dropped contracting 62% in dollar terms. The level of activity
expected for stores, warehouses, offices, and hotels in 2011 will still be
quite weak by historical standards
4. The institutional building market will slip an additional 1% in 2011,
retreating for the third straight year. The difficult fiscal climate for states
and localities will continue to dampen school construction, although
the healthcare facilities category should see moderate growth
5. Manufacturing buildings will increase 9% in dollars and 11% in square feet
6. Public works construction will drop 1%, given the fading benefits of the
federal stimulus act for highway and bridge construction
7. Electric utilities will slide 10%, falling for the third year in a row.
However, according to Dodge Data & Analytics (formally McGraw-Hill
Construction) after the steady growth in 2014, the construction industry
is expected to see a strong uptick in construction starts in 2015. Dodge