The results of ACA Pulse Check 2025 reveal a profession under pressure. While practices have successfully embraced flexibility, new sectors of work and shifting business models, they are also grappling with significant challenges across revenue, project delivery, risk and fee structures. Many of our surveyed practices are busy right now, but a significant number face a dwindling pipeline and a high level of uncertainty.

The South Australian respondents of the ACA Pulse Check highlight COVID-era adaptation, with more purposeful hiring, better office systems, and proactive steps to reshape services and structures. However, widespread challenges remain – from shrinking pipelines to fee pressure and staffing gaps.

Tasmanian respondents to the ACA Pulse Check gave a clear picture of the challenges in our smallest state. While Tasmanian practices demonstrate adaptability through pivoting business models, flexible work and strengthening internal support systems, the profession remains vulnerable to unpredictable pipelines, unsustainable fee structures, and lack of access to larger-scale public projects. 

Queensland respondents to the ACA Pulse Check highlight a challenging economic landscape, with shrinking project pipelines, delayed payments and cost escalation putting enormous pressure on practice leaders. However, many practices are responding with expansion into other sectors, the leveraging of flexible work models, new technologies, and evolving business strategies.

Western Australian participants report a challenging business environment, with shrinking pipelines, squeezed margins and high uncertainty. Delays, cancellations and slow-moving procurement have had significant impacts, yet many WA practices continue to adapt, moving into new sectors and delivery methods.

The responses from NSW participants of the ACA Pulse Check survey reveal a state of contrasts, with some practices struggling to stay afloat, while others are tracking well, focusing on adaptation and innovation. Key challenges include work pipelines, rising operational costs, and recruitment.

Victorian participants of the ACA Pulse Check survey 2025 highlight an increasingly challenging business environment, with rising operational costs, increased regulation, fee erosion and a weak project pipeline squeezing Victorian practices. Key takeaways from Victoria include the latest insights on staffing, revenue, innovation and challenges.

The results of ACA Pulse Check no. 6 reveal the significant impacts that the last two years have had on architectural practice – flexibility is now both the norm and the future. The survey confirms the very tight employment market and reflects a profession that is, on the whole, very busy.

Justine Clark provides a summary of the recent ACA Pulse Check survey findings, with stats on flexibility, employment, wellbeing and challenges, including rising material costs, supply chain problems and the increased costs of running business not matched by increased income.

ACA’s first Pulse Check for the year – the fifth since the pandemic began –  gives a fairly positive account of the rebound from COVID. Here we outline the key findings, including stats on levels of work and work pipeline, the impact of JobKeeper, changes to employment and workplace arrangements, mental wellbeing, and the future outlook.

Please take the ACA Pulse Check no. 5. We are now over a year into the pandemic. How is your practice going? What has changed? What has stayed the same? How is the future looking?

Announcing the preliminary results of Pulse Check no. 4

The ACA – Vic/Tas has released the results of the first VicPulse survey. Top level findings reveal worrying levels of work cancelled or on hold. On the other hand, the survey responses are quite positive in terms of wellbeing and many practices have been able to keep staff on due to the support of JobKeeper.

The preliminary findings of the ACA Pulse Check No. 3 are out now. Concerns about workflow continue, but some projects have restarted and JobKeeper payments have enabled many practices to keep staff on. Mental wellbeing results are positive overall, with some toll on senior management. Practices are returning to the office and considering necessary changes.

The ACA Pulse Check No 2 survey invited participants to answer questions about the mental wellbeing of their practice and people. Susie Ashworth unpacks the results and highlights the best tips and advice for looking after the mental wellbeing of all within practice.

The ACA has released the preliminary results of the ACA Pulse Check No. 2. Top line findings reveal serious concerns about workflow, financial impact and employment, but the survey also shows that architectural practices are adapting quickly to the changed working environments.

The ACA has released the preliminary results of the ACA Pulse Check no. 1. We are now analysing these further.