institutional and residential projects driving architect numbers

Just released figures from the Washington-based American Institute of Architects indicate that new project work is particularly buoyant in the Midwest and South, and lagging only a little in the West.

Those numbers, said Kermit Baker, chief economist with the AIA, are “similar to the strong conditions we’ve seen nationally.”

But Baker, in a statement, also pointed out that new billings have remained “soft at firms located in the Northeast again, where they have declined or been flat for the entire year so far.”
The institute’s Architecture Billings Index overall had a score in September of 51.1, down marginally from the 54.2 posted in August.

Despite that decline, new projects being taken on by firms in general seem to indicate continued growth heading into early 2019.

The AIA compiles it numbers and billings pattern based on information sent to it by member firms across the country.

Those responses in the most recent survey additionally indicate that institutional and multi-family residential firms are leading the industry in billings, followed by mixed practice and commercial and industrial firms.

By Garry Boulard

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