Architects, engineers pinched by recession

The recession and subsequent downturn in construction have taken a toll on Las Vegas architectural and engineering firms.

Many have cut back sharply to deal with the slowdown, and some have declared bankruptcy and ceased operation. Many have turned to government work, finding jobs out of state and outside the country to help fill the void caused by the sharp loss of business in Southern Nevada.

“I think there is about 60 percent unemployment in our profession in Las Vegas,” said Craig Galati, president of Lucchesi Galati Architects. “It hasn’t been good for many people if their work revolved around the private-sector markets of retail, office and housing.”

Galati said his firm has been fortunate to have a greater emphasis on public-sector projects. It has designed projects such as the Skyview Multigenerational Center and Meadows School athletic complex and worked with museums and other culture-related projects. It is working on a project at Mount Charleston for the U.S. Forest Service and on a visitor center at Corn Creek for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department.

“We have never done a lot of private-developer work and that has helped us a lot,” Galati said. “We have stayed busy and are one of the few firms that has been able to keep its staff.”

The firm has kept a staff of 20 the past two years, Galati said.

Architectural firms started experiencing the slowdown before other industries because their work is completed ahead of construction.

Thomas Schoeman, president of JMA, which has designed projects such as the Vegas PBS building and the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in North Las Vegas, said the design practice peaked in 2005 and started to slow down in 2006, prompting the firm to cut its workforce from about 150 to 55, he said.

Schoeman said the medical center and new Las Vegas city hall have helped soften the blow. The firm also has done some casino renovations and work for out-of-state Indian casinos.

“The commercial market has stopped, and the office, residential and mixed-use were a big segment of the work in 2005,” Schoeman said. “I think 2010 is a sustaining year, and as we see a recovery we will see more commercial work out there. Some of the larger projects start planning years before they start construction.”

At Aptus Architecture, President Brandon Sprague said expanding operations in the Southwest has helped his firm cope with the loss of construction projects in Las Vegas. It now has an office in Riverside, Calif., in the Inland Empire.

The firm has worked with Clark County and UNLV, but tight budgets have affected public agencies as well, Sprague said. Sometimes, it’s been about expanding the scope of work done with existing clients, he said.