Kermit Baker

The Architecture Billings Index, a leading indicator for future construction spending, posted its fourth consecutive monthly gain in November, according to the American Institute of Architects. The ABI score in November came in at 53.2; in October, it was 52.8. As The Real Deal previously reported, September saw an index of 51.6 and August saw one of 50.2. Any score above 50 represents an increase in billings. [more]

Billings at architecture firms across the nation increased last month at their fastest pace since late 2010, according to the American Institute of Architects’ September Architecture Billings Index, which was released today. Overall, the ABI score ticked in at 51.6, up from the 50.2 recorded in August. The new projects index rose to 57.3 from 57.2 in August.

The overall index counts a score over 50 as an indicator that billings have increased. [more]

The demand for arhchitects to design new projects in the U.S. has reached its highest point in nearly five years, according to the American Institute of Architects’ February Architecture Billings Index, released today. The new projects inquiry index rose 2.2 from January points to 63.4, the highest total since July 2007. [more]

An architect

Good news for the nation’s construction sector: architects’ workloads are increasing, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In the last three months the Architecture Billings Index has shown increases in work levels at architectural firms, the Journal said. In January, the Index, provided by the American Institute of Architects, showed a score of 50.9, up from a score of 51.0 in December. [more]

After struggling for most of 2011, the Architecture Billings Index, a leading economic indicator of future construction activity, has remained on positive footing for the last few months, according to the American Institute of Architects.

AIA reported the December index score as 52, in a report released today, the same score as in November. Any score over 50 reflects an overall demand for design services in the industry. The new projects inquiry index is 64, down just a point from a reading of 65 the previous month. [more]

The American Institute of Architects is preparing to launch a nationwide database of stalled construction projects in an attempt to find ways to rejuvenate them, Real Estate Weekly reported. Over the next several months, the AIA expects to analyze projects that aren’t moving forward due to a lack of financing in the hopes that it will identify opportunities for collaboration and alternative funding sources, said Kermit Baker, chief economist for the organization, which puts out the monthly Architecture Billings Index, a key economic indicator for the construction industry…. [more]

The Architecture Billings Index rose by 2.2 points last month, indicating a continued recovery trend in the struggling U.S. construction and design industry, the American Institute of Architects said yesterday. The ABI, which is considered a strong economic indicator of future construction activity, hit its highest level since 2007 last month and has risen in three of the past four months. December’s index reading was up to 54.2 from 52 in November, on a scale in which any score above 50 represents an increase in billings for design work. TRD… [more]

The Architecture Billings Index — a key indicator of future U.S. construction spending — was positive for the first time since the economic downturn in September, the American Institute of Architects said today. September’s billings score was 50.4, up from 48.2 in August (any score above 50 indicates an increase in the demand for design services, which is supposed to translate to an increase in construction spending within nine to 12 months’ time). Inquiries about new projects, meanwhile, rose to 62.3 in September from 54.6 one month earlier, marking their highest level since July 2007. “This is certainly encouraging news, but we will need to see consistent improvement over the next few months in order to feel comfortable about the state of the design and construction industry,” AIA chief economist Kermit Baker said. “While there has been increasing demand for design services, it is happening at a slow rate and there continue to be other obstacles that are preventing a more accelerated recovery. TRD

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The Architecture Billings Index fell from to 45.8 in May from 48.4 in April, after three straight months of improving, according to a national report released this week by the American Institute of Architecture. ABI tracks the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Since any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings, the nearly 3-point decrease in the May ABI score reflects a continued decline in demand for design services. “This dip is somewhat of a surprise since it appeared that conditions were pointing towards a recovery,” said Kermit Baker, chief economist for the institute. “The overriding issue affecting the entire real estate sector is unusual caution on the part of lending institutions to provide credit for construction projects that apparently would be successful in this environment.” TRD

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The Architecture Billings Index fell from to 45.8 in May from 48.4 in April, after three straight months of improving, according to a national report released this week by the American Institute of Architecture. ABI tracks the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Since any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings, the nearly 3-point decrease in the May ABI score reflects a continued decline in demand for design services. “This dip is somewhat of a surprise since it appeared that conditions were pointing towards a recovery,” said Kermit Baker, chief economist for the institute. “The overriding issue affecting the entire real estate sector is unusual caution on the part of lending institutions to provide credit for construction projects that apparently would be successful in this environment.” TRD

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