In a tough economy, some hospitals and health care institutions constructing new buildings are taking a non-traditional approach to cut building costs. The New York Times reports New York State's first free-standing hospital project in more than 20 years is being built using the design-build method, in which the architect and general contractor are from a single company, instead of operating independently. "This was the only route that was affordable to Orange Regional Medical Center," said Wayne Becker, vice president for new projects at the hospital. The non-traditional approach is expected to cut costs almost in half, according to the article. Fred S. Kummer, president of the company building the hospital, told the Times the method eliminates turf battles between architects and construction managers, and the savings are particularly noticeable in hospitals. "The results are particularly profound the more complex the project," he said in the article, "There are no buildings that are more complex than a hospital." According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of architects is expected to grow by 18 % from 2006-2016, as demand for commercial space increases. Since residential construction is only a small part of a career in architecture, the fall in the housing market is not expected to slow this growth significantly.  |