Dive Brief:

• Commercial buildings are getting bigger, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which reported a 21% increase in floor space between 2003 and 2012.

• The EIA’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption survey, released this week, counted 5.6 million commercial buildings in the U.S. in 2012, with a combined 87 billion square feet of floor space.

• The average size of buildings constructed in the 2000s, which account for 18% of the commercial building stock, is 19,000 square feet, the report noted, while those built before 1960 averaged 12,000 square feet.

Dive Insight:

Larger buildings are needed to accommodate a larger consumer base, the report showed. For example, healthcare facilities are getting larger to accommodate a growing population with longer life expectancies and a greater need for medical care. Likewise, hotels are larger now because of a post-recession increase in leisure and business travel.

With the popularity of big-box stores, retailers are building larger spaces. Even churches are getting bigger as “megachurches” become an American norm, the study noted.