In 2017, Altus Group was approached by the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) to prepare an analysis of the economic benefits of the architectural services industry and its contribution to the construction sector.
“Economic activity from the architecture industry?s entire footprint in Ontario totalled $128.4 billion or 14% of Ontario?s GDP,” according to the OAA report. Photo by Stefan Novakovic.
The architectural services industry plays a critical role in Ontario?s economy, particularly its rapidly expanding real estate industry. The development and construction of buildings, and subsequently their daily operations, directly support thousands of jobs and add tremendous value to the Ontario?s gross domestic product (GDP). Although architectural services professionals represent a very small minority of in the range of professionals and trades involved in bringing new buildings to life, they play an important and outsized role. Architectural designs are essential to the multi-billion dollar construction sector. In addition to building up and maintaining Ontario?s infrastructure, the construction sector generates about 6.7% of Ontario?s GDP or $58 billion. It is also a significant source of jobs, wages and government revenue. Ontario?s physical infrastructure provides an important platform for economic growth, prosperity and social wellbeing. While millions of Ontarians rely on buildings designed by the architectural industry for housing, commercial accommodat...