7 Common Types of Commercial Construction Projects

While residential construction continues to falter because of the economic downturn, nonresidential commercial construction projects continue to chug along nicely.

That’s thanks to a ballooning backlog of projects, with the ABC Construction Backlog Indicator showing an 8.7-month backlog as of August 2022.

These are the most common commercial construction projects you will likely tackle, so keep reading to familiarize yourself with their unique needs and nuances.

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The U.S. Commercial Construction Market Outlook

The commercial construction market has rebounded faster in 2022, and more growth is expected in 2023. During the pandemic, all industries suffered a major setback, for only a select few, such as retail, industrial, and healthcare industries, to recover a year later. The broader commercial construction industry began to rebound in 2022, thanks to the rising demand due to shifting market trends.

Business owners looking to venture into commercial construction or those underway with projects must understand the current commercial construction outlook and what to expect in the long run. We have highlighted some key takeaways in the construction industry and the market indicators to watch.

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4 Ways to Refresh Your Commercial Building on a Budget

First impressions can make or break your business. A prospective customer, partner, or employee will form an opinion about your company within ten seconds of walking into your premises. Therefore, ensuring your commercial building looks the part is essential to your marketing strategy.

While effective, large-scale commercial renovation projects can be costly and disrupt your business operation for days or weeks at a time. These are distinct drawbacks for businesses looking to give their premises a fresh and enticing look without breaking the bank. Luckily, we have some suggestions to spruce up your commercial space that won’t require tons of time or money.

Strap in as we detail 5 ways to refresh your commercial space without breaking the bank.

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5 Ways Photographs Can Benefit Your Commercial Construction Project

Documentation is an essential part of a successful commercial construction project. Although written notes may come to mind when it comes to documentation, they have several limitations. They’re time-consuming to produce, and there’s no guarantee that they’re accurate. They may also be unclear. Fortunately, photography can provide many specific benefits that written notes lack.

The following are a few of the ways that photographic documentation is important during a commercial construction project:

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Tips for Creating a Hybrid Classroom

Remote learning isn’t a new idea: distance learning via mail has existed since the mid-1800s, and the founders of the successful ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s learned their craft from a Penn State correspondence course in 1978.  The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic transformed remote education from a secondary means of learning to a primary one.  Schools and universities couldn’t cancel classes indefinitely, turning to software like Blackboard and apps like Zoom to resume teaching.  While many institutions have returned to in-person instruction, COVID spikes continue to temporarily close campuses to curb transmission.  Colleges like Bentley University have gone beyond temporary measures and invested in permanent hybrid learning setups.

Whether your school intends to use remote instruction as needed or has embraced it as a continuing education tool, the hybrid classroom is here to stay.  Let’s take a look at some factors to consider when either renovating an existing classroom for combined learning or constructing a hybrid classroom from scratch.

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Top 7 Trends and Challenges in Commercial Construction in 2022

Commercial construction is an integral part of the American economy. According to IBISWorld, it is a $230 Billion industry, the 51st largest by market size. The entire construction industry employs more than 750,000 workers.

But it’s not always smooth sailing as commercial construction market dynamics keep changing, so you must keep your finger on the pulse of the industry to stay afloat. Here are trends and challenges to look out for in 2022.

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Project Spotlight: Manor College Veterinary Technology Facilities

In light of Employee Appreciation Day being last Friday, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing work our team has completed over the past few years.  Let’s take a look at Manor College’s vet tech facilities, the unique challenges this renovation posed, and how our crew solved them to yield a state-of-the-art suite for the program’s students and faculty.

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5 Ways Environmentally Friendly Products Can Fit Into Your Redesign

Buildings have an impact on the environment throughout their life cycles. They use water, raw materials, and energy, all resources that need to be conserved.  From the construction phase to the occupancy and renovations or even demolitions, buildings generate all kinds of waste and often discharge harmful emissions.

The good news is that there has been a positive global green building trend that indicates a rise in eco-friendly building activity globally. The movement not only benefits the environment but also benefits a business. 

Modern commercial construction is slowly becoming the leader in green building. However, there has been a steady rise in retrofits in existing buildings that offer hope to Mother Nature. If you’ve been wondering how to make your commercial space eco-friendly, the following ideas will go a long way.

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Souder Brothers Construction 2021 Year in Review

We started 2020’s “Year in Review” post by saying:

What a year it has been!  Last year was not the one we were expecting, but it was a year we will remember forever.

That sentiment could very well apply to 2021 as well!  While this year has been calmer in some respects as we settle into a “new normal,” the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet a distant memory and continues to impact our work and lives.  Some effects are relatively minor: masks have joined keys, wallets, and phones on the list of things you don’t leave home without.  Video chat apps like Zoom and FaceTime are ubiquitous as email and text messages.  Terms like “social distancing” and “vax” have entered our vernacular and won’t be disappearing very soon.

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2021 Trends in Construction

As we approach the end of another year, it’s a good time to reflect on trends we have observed with our projects in particular as well as the construction field in general.  The pandemic has certainly affected approaches to building design, from temporary stopgaps to permanent fixtures.  At the same time, some of these evolutions were already taking place, with COVID-19 merely accelerating their implementation.  Here are three significant trends worth noting: 

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