HORIZONTV FEATURING BD+C: WATCH EPISODES ON DEMAND AT HORIZONTV

𝕏

Currently Reading

ABI turns positive after four monthly declines

ABI turns positive after four monthly declines

By By BD+C Staff | September 23, 2011

On the heels of a period of weakness in design activity, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) took a sudden upturn in August.

Continue Reading

On the heels of a period of weakness in design activity, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) took a sudden upturn in 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 August ABI score was 51.4, following a very weak score of 45.1 in July. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 56.9, up sharply from a reading of 53.7 the previous month.

"Based on the poor economic conditions over the last several months, this turnaround in demand for design services is a surprise," said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. "Many firms are still struggling, and continue to report that clients are having difficulty getting financing for viable projects, but it's possible we've reached the bottom of the down cycle."

Key August ABI highlights:

Regional averages: Midwest (49.0), South (47.4), West (47.4), Northeast (46.5)
Sector index breakdown: mixed practice (50.9), institutional (48.5), commercial / industrial (46.0), multi-family residential (44.8)
Project inquiries index: 56.9 BD+C

Tags

Related Stories

The Chicago Center for Green Technology is the nations first rehabilitated muni

| Jun 4, 2012

Brownfield goes green

Chicago Center for Green Technology uses high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers to share its green message and earn LEED credits.

The renovated Beverly High School in Beverly, Mass.

| Jun 4, 2012

KBE Building and CTA Construction awarded Project of the Year from CMAA

Award given for work done on the renovation of Beverly High School in Beverly, Mass.

| Jun 4, 2012

Pressley promoted to Senior VP and CIO at Hill International

Pressley will be responsible for managing all of Hill's information technology systems and software worldwide.

Scott Pavick

| Jun 4, 2012

Stalco Construction promotes Scott Pavick to chief estimator

Pavick manages the estimating department and is responsible for developing cost estimates and budgets, value engineering, and subcontractor bid evaluation and negotiations.

HBD Construction has been chosen to build a new $12 million training facility ca

| Jun 4, 2012

HBD Construction to build new training campus in St. Louis

Larger campus facility will expand training opportunities for plumbers and pipefitters.

| Jun 1, 2012

New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available

By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.

Andrew C. Caruso, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CDT

| Jun 1, 2012

Caruso to lead Gensler’s Asia talent development

Caruso will be based in Shanghai and working with the Gensler offices in Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and India until the spring of 2013.

| Jun 1, 2012

AIA 2030 Commitment Program reports new results

The full report contains participating firm demographics, energy reduction initiatives undertaken by firms, anecdotal accounts, and lessons learned.

Robert Wilson, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP

| Jun 1, 2012

Robert Wilson joins SmithGroupJJR

Wilson makes the move to SmithGroupJJR from VOA Associates, Inc., where he served as a senior vice president and technical director in its Chicago office.

Sue Klawans

| Jun 1, 2012

Gilbane Building's Sue Klawans promoted

Industry veteran tasked with boosting project efficiency and driving customer satisfaction, to direct operational excellence efforts.

Top Articles

Resiliency

Climate change degrades buildings slowly but steadily

Hotel Facilities

Hotel construction pipeline surpasses 6,200 projects at Q3 2024

Office Buildings

Editorial call for Office Building project case studies

More In Category

Resiliency

Climate change degrades buildings slowly but steadily

While natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires can destroy buildings in minutes, other factors exacerbated by climate change degrade buildings more slowly but still cause costly damage.

Office Buildings

Editorial call for Office Building project case studies

BD+C editors are looking to feature a roundup of office building projects for 2024, including office-to-residential conversions. Deadline for submission: December 6, 2024.

Healthcare Facilities

New surgical tower is largest addition to UNC Health campus in Chapel Hill

Construction on UNC Health’s North Carolina Surgical Hospital, the largest addition to the Chapel Hill campus since it was built in 1952, was recently completed. The seven-story, 375,000-sf structure houses 26 operating rooms, four of which are hybrid size to accommodate additional equipment and technology for newly developed procedures.

Multifamily Housing

A case for mid-rise: How multifamily housing can reshape our cities

Often referred to as “five-over-ones,” the mid-rise apartment type is typically comprised of five stories of apartments on top of a concrete “podium” of ground-floor retail. The main criticism of the “five-over-one” is that they are often too predictable.

Most Popular Content