It is a truism that the practice of architecture only exists because of the need for construction. My own philosophy is that we are builders, even if we approach the subject through the discipline of design. And notwithstanding local recessions, we are part of an expanding market. Global construction is expected to grow by 67 per cent from $7.2 trillion today to $12 trillion in 2020, by which time emerging economies will account for 55 per cent of the market share (up from 46 per cent today). Two years ago China overtook America as the largest construction market and this trend is predicted to continue for at least a decade...