Architecture billings index fell in April, hurt by tight financing for projects

May 17, 2011

The architecture billings index, a leading indicator of U.S. construction activity, fell in April, hurt by tight financing for projects.

The architecture billings index fell 2.9 points last month to 47.6, a level that indicates declining demand for architecture services, according to the American Institute of Architects. The new project inquiries index fell 3.7 points to 55.0, suggesting a hoped-for construction recovery may be delayed. The AIA's index is considered a predictor of nonresidential construction trends 9 to 12 months in the future.

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Based on the experience of my

Submitted by Lyn McClay AIA (not verified) on Wed, 2011-05-18 14:21.

Based on the experience of my firm since 2008, I hold the banks largely responsible for the failure in the housing recovery. I have several residential clients with excellent credit who can only borrow 70% of the construction cost of a project. This has caused more than one project to be delayed indefinitely. We, the tax payers, bailed out the banks and now they are killing the building industry. I would like to see the AIA PAC address this issue. Supposedly, the bail out would be a stimulus to the economy, but I don't know a single person associated with the building industry who would say that this has worked.