2023 ended with a very mixed mood for the architectural sector. Some of this feeling was driven by a new and, in some traditional parts of the profession, unwanted trend of downscaling through the use of technology. Here, we look at these factors and consider what they may mean for the future of architectural firms. A very mixed outlook among
Opus Business Advisory Group continues to support the thriving North West business community by opening a new office in central Manchester. Frank Ofonagoro joins Opus to lead a dedicated team committed to business support, restructuring and insolvency advice. Frank brings over 20 years of experience delivering projects in restructuring, transaction services and corporate advisory. He is a current board member
Earlier this month we published a detailed report into the architectural sector in the UK. Now we are concentrating on the most significant new development in decades, the effect that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having on the architectural profession and its work. AI is sweeping the world and revolutionising more and more aspects of business operations. Architects are no exception
The Office for National Statistics has finally put an end to speculation and confirmed that the UK was in a technical recession in the second half of 2023. Forecasts for a recovery are muted, with the EY Item Club and the IMF predicting growth in 2024 of 0.9% and 0.6% respectively. Corporate insolvencies hit an all time high of 26,595
What next for the UK economy now we’re in a recession? Economists need ponder no longer, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) finally confirmed that Q4 2023 saw a fall in GDP adding to the negative outturn for Q3, thereby creating a recession which government sources dismiss as no more than ‘technical’. What it certainly counts as is ‘shallow’ by
The construction industry had a total labour force of 2.15m in Q2 2023, equivalent to some 7% of the total UK labour force. This compares with the pre-pandemic level of 2.3m in Q1 2020 and the peak over the past twenty-five years of 2.6m in Q3 2008 just as the global financial crisis was starting. The employment trend can be
