Jan 19, 2022

Architecture firms end 2021 on a strong note

Firms report concerns over recruiting staff to meet workload demands.

As architecture firms ended 2021 on a high note with strong business conditions, staff recruitment is becoming a growing concern among firms. December’s Architectural Billings Index (ABI) score of 52.0 was an increase from 51.0 in November.

Jan 13, 2022

Robert Eisenstat and Paul Mankins receive the 2022 AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is honoring Robert D. Eisenstat, FAIA, the design leader for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Paul D. Mankins, FAIA, principal of Substance Architecture, with the 2022 AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture.

Dec 20, 2021

In memory of 2019 AIA Gold Medalist Lord Richard Rogers, Hon. FAIA

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) released the following statement today in memory of 2019 AIA Gold Medalist Lord Richard Rogers, Hon. FAIA: “Lord Rogers overcame early challenges to build a legacy as a generous colleague and innovative designer in a career that spanned seven decades," said AIA 2022 President Dan Hart, FAIA. "He will be remembered for his kind spirit and open-minded approach to design, which resulted in a body of work that was singular while also the result of a deep commitment to collaboration."

Dec 15, 2021

Demand for design services continues to grow

Changing conditions could be on the horizon.

WASHINGTON – Dec. 15, 2021 – Architecture firms reported increasing demand for design services for the tenth consecutive month in November, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). The ABI score for November was 51.0, down from 54.3 the previous month. While this score is down slightly from October’s score, it still indicates positive business conditions overall (any score above 50 indicates billings growth). During November, scoring for both the new project inquiries and design contracts moderated slightly, but remained in positive territory, posting scores of 59.4 and 55.8 respectively. “The period of elevated billing scores nationally, and across the major regions and construction sectors seems to be winding down for this cycle,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “Ongoing external challenges like labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, spiking inflation, and prospects for rising interest rates will likely continue to slow the growth in firm billings in the coming months.” Key ABI highlights for November include: • Regional averages: Midwest (57.6); South (53.7); West (50.9); Northeast (45.5) • Sector index breakdown: mixed practice (56.9); multi-family residential (51.4); commercial/industrial (50.5); institutional (50.1) The regional and sector categories are calculated as a three-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts and inquiries are monthly numbers. Visit AIA’s website for more ABI information