Dive Brief:

• One of the construction industry’s gauges for the volume of work coming down the pike is the Architectural Billings Index, which increased in March for the second consecutive month.

• The American Institute of Architects reported this week that the slight monthly increase in design activity between January and March reflects “solid footing” for the institutional and commercial sectors. Work for architects in the multifamily sector also increased during both months, the first back-to-back spike in that category since 2011.

• The index is a leading economic indicator of construction activity, as architectural billings can foretell construction spending nine to 12 months in the future.

Dive Insight:

The March ABI score was 51.7, up from 50.4 the previous month. The new projects inquiry index also increased to 58.2, up from 56.6 in February. 

“Business conditions at architecture firms generally are quite healthy across the country,” AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said in a press release. Still, billings at Northeastern firms waned a bit in March, largely because of severe winter weather.