flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

AIA's ABI November Index reaches 52.0

AIA's ABI November Index reaches 52.0

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reached its first positive mark since August. 


By By BD+C Staff | January 3, 2012

Continuing the positive momentum of a nearly three point bump in October, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reached its first positive mark since August. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 52.0, following a score of 49.4 in October. This score reflects an overall increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 65.0, up dramatically from a reading of 57.3 the previous month.

"This is a heartening development for the design and construction industry that only a few years ago accounted for nearly ten percent of overall GDP but has fallen to slightly less than six percent," said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. "Hopefully, this uptick in billings is a sign that a recovery phase is in the works. However, given the volatility that we've seen nationally and internationally recently, we'll need to see several more months of positive readings before we'll have much confidence that the U.S. construction recession is ending."

Key November ABI highlights:
  • Regional averages: South (54.4),  Midwest (50.9), Northeast (49.1), West (45.6)
  • Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (55.8), commercial / industrial (53.9),
  • Institutional (48.9), mixed practice (41.6)
  • Project inquiries index: 65.0
The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the index and inquiries are monthly numbers. BD+C

Related Stories

| Aug 11, 2010

AIA approves Sika Sarnafil’s continuing education courses offering sustainable design credits

Two continuing education courses offered by Sika Sarnafil have been approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and are now certified to fulfill the AIA’s new Sustainable Design continuing education requirements.

| Aug 11, 2010

HNTB, Arup, Walter P Moore among SMPS National Marketing Communications Awards winners

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is pleased to announce the 2009 recipients of the 32nd Annual National Marketing Communications Awards (MCA). This annual competition is the longest-standing, most prestigious awards program recognizing excellence in marketing and communications by professional services firms in the design and building industry.

| Aug 11, 2010

'Flexible' building designed to physically respond to the environment

The ecoFLEX project, designed by a team from Shepley Bulfinch, has won a prestigious 2009 Unbuilt Architecture Design Award from the Boston Society of Architects. EcoFLEX features heat-sensitive assemblies composed of a series of bi-material strips. The assemblies’ form modulate with the temperature to create varying levels of shading and wind shielding, flexing when heated to block sunlight and contracting when cooled to allow breezes to pass through the screen.

| Aug 11, 2010

New book provides energy efficiency guidance for hotels

Recommendations on achieving 30% energy savings over minimum code requirements are contained in the newly published Advanced Energy Design Guide for Highway Lodging.   The energy savings guidance for design of new hotels provides a first step toward achieving a net-zero-energy building.

| Aug 11, 2010

Perkins+Will master plans Vedanta University teaching hospital in India

Working together with the Anil Agarwal Foundation, Perkins+Will developed the master plan for the Medical Precinct of a new teaching hospital in a remote section of Puri, Orissa, India. The hospital is part of an ambitious plan to develop this rural area into a global center of education and healthcare that would be on par with Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford.

| Aug 11, 2010

Burt Hill, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest university design firms

A ranking of the Top 100 University Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

PBK, DLR Group among nation's largest K-12 school design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 75 K-12 School Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021