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Architecture billings are typically viewed as a leading indicator for the development industry. That's because, in order to build things, you need permits. And in order to get permits, you need architects to draw things.
So every month, the American Institute of Architects surveys design firms as a way to determine how the industry is doing. The primary question it asks is: Have your billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended? Based on the proportion of respondents choosing each option, an Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score is created.
A score of 50 means there has been no change in billings from the previous month. A score above 50 indicates an increase. And a score below 50 indicates a decrease. Here's this score for August 2024 to August 2025:
Billings are down across the US. In fact, the survey notes that the value of design contracts has declined for an 18th consecutive month, marking the longest period of decline since the survey started 15 years ago. This is true across all regions, though the South has the best relative performance and the West has the worst. The commercial/industrial sector also appears to have the best relative performance, which, I'm only guessing, could be a result of things like data centers.
I don't have perfectly comparable data for Canada, but I know that architecture billings are way down in markets like Toronto and Vancouver. Architecture and development firms continue to lay off people, which is the strongest kind of indicator.
One of the things I always find interesting is how globally connected we all are. Real estate may be a local business, but it does depend on global capital flows and overall sentiment. The US market is soft. The Canadian market is soft — with some markets being largely shut off, to be more precise. And when I was in Paris last month, I heard a lot of the same from architects and developers (except from those able to subsist on government work).
Images: AIA / Detek ABI (August 2025)
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) just announced its 2025 Architecture Award winners. This is a program that celebrate the best contemporary architecture in the US, spanning all scales and budgets.
Firstly, I'm obligated to share that Studio Gang won an award for its Kresge College Expansion at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This is a beautiful project consisting of 4 new mass-timber buildings — three residential halls and an academic center — in the middle of a redwood forest in northern California.
But since we talk a lot about housing on this blog, I also wanted to highlight two projects by Brooks + Scarpa. The first is 11NOHO in North Hollywood, CA. This is a 5-storey apartment consisting of 60 suites, 12 of which are affordable (which allowed for a density bonus).
The American Institute of Architects just presented its 2019 Housing Awards. 12 housing projects were recognized across four categories.
Some of the projects I have written about before -- such as the Tiny Tower in North Philadelphia. But most of the projects haven't been covered on this blog. One of my favorites, among the winners, is the Oak Park Housing project in Sacramento by Johnsen Schamling Architects.
Architecture billings are typically viewed as a leading indicator for the development industry. That's because, in order to build things, you need permits. And in order to get permits, you need architects to draw things.
So every month, the American Institute of Architects surveys design firms as a way to determine how the industry is doing. The primary question it asks is: Have your billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended? Based on the proportion of respondents choosing each option, an Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score is created.
A score of 50 means there has been no change in billings from the previous month. A score above 50 indicates an increase. And a score below 50 indicates a decrease. Here's this score for August 2024 to August 2025:
Billings are down across the US. In fact, the survey notes that the value of design contracts has declined for an 18th consecutive month, marking the longest period of decline since the survey started 15 years ago. This is true across all regions, though the South has the best relative performance and the West has the worst. The commercial/industrial sector also appears to have the best relative performance, which, I'm only guessing, could be a result of things like data centers.
I don't have perfectly comparable data for Canada, but I know that architecture billings are way down in markets like Toronto and Vancouver. Architecture and development firms continue to lay off people, which is the strongest kind of indicator.
One of the things I always find interesting is how globally connected we all are. Real estate may be a local business, but it does depend on global capital flows and overall sentiment. The US market is soft. The Canadian market is soft — with some markets being largely shut off, to be more precise. And when I was in Paris last month, I heard a lot of the same from architects and developers (except from those able to subsist on government work).
Images: AIA / Detek ABI (August 2025)
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) just announced its 2025 Architecture Award winners. This is a program that celebrate the best contemporary architecture in the US, spanning all scales and budgets.
Firstly, I'm obligated to share that Studio Gang won an award for its Kresge College Expansion at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This is a beautiful project consisting of 4 new mass-timber buildings — three residential halls and an academic center — in the middle of a redwood forest in northern California.
But since we talk a lot about housing on this blog, I also wanted to highlight two projects by Brooks + Scarpa. The first is 11NOHO in North Hollywood, CA. This is a 5-storey apartment consisting of 60 suites, 12 of which are affordable (which allowed for a density bonus).
The American Institute of Architects just presented its 2019 Housing Awards. 12 housing projects were recognized across four categories.
Some of the projects I have written about before -- such as the Tiny Tower in North Philadelphia. But most of the projects haven't been covered on this blog. One of my favorites, among the winners, is the Oak Park Housing project in Sacramento by Johnsen Schamling Architects.
The second is the Rose Mixed-Use Apartments in Venice, CA. This one is a 4-storey apartment and is 100% affordable. I'd like to know how they got the pro forma to work, but regardless, it's proof that Europe doesn't have a monopoly on beautiful social housing projects.
What I really wanted to point out, though, are the projects' courtyards. Southern California has a rich history of courtyard buildings and these two projects offer a contemporary interpretation of this tradition. Both include an elevated courtyard and both have found a way to maintain a connection to the street.
What I like about this approach is that it's simultaneously extroverted (there's a connection to the broader urban context) and introverted (residents get a semi-private amenity).
I think this duality can be particularly helpful when you're designing and developing in a context that maybe isn't the most conducive to intimate urban spaces. It allows you to create your own new ground plane, while not turning your back on the city.
Coincidentally, it also happens to be one of the design moves that Globizen put forward in a recent submission to Salt Lake City for the redevelopment of a full city block in the Granary District.
Photos from Brooks + Scarpa
I like that the massing is simple and that it's a dense -- 6 unit -- urban infill project in an area of Sacramento that has been struggling with disinvestment for many decades. According to the architect, it is one of the first residential projects in the neighborhood since the Oak Park Riots of 1969.
Three of the homes front onto the main street. And the other three front onto and are accessed from a rear alley. Each home is just over 1,500 square feet. The project also had "an ambitiously limited construction budget", so let's call it an example of good design not having to necessarily cost a lot of money.
I'm guessing their land costs were reasonable.
Photo: John J. Macaulay
The second is the Rose Mixed-Use Apartments in Venice, CA. This one is a 4-storey apartment and is 100% affordable. I'd like to know how they got the pro forma to work, but regardless, it's proof that Europe doesn't have a monopoly on beautiful social housing projects.
What I really wanted to point out, though, are the projects' courtyards. Southern California has a rich history of courtyard buildings and these two projects offer a contemporary interpretation of this tradition. Both include an elevated courtyard and both have found a way to maintain a connection to the street.
What I like about this approach is that it's simultaneously extroverted (there's a connection to the broader urban context) and introverted (residents get a semi-private amenity).
I think this duality can be particularly helpful when you're designing and developing in a context that maybe isn't the most conducive to intimate urban spaces. It allows you to create your own new ground plane, while not turning your back on the city.
Coincidentally, it also happens to be one of the design moves that Globizen put forward in a recent submission to Salt Lake City for the redevelopment of a full city block in the Granary District.
Photos from Brooks + Scarpa
I like that the massing is simple and that it's a dense -- 6 unit -- urban infill project in an area of Sacramento that has been struggling with disinvestment for many decades. According to the architect, it is one of the first residential projects in the neighborhood since the Oak Park Riots of 1969.
Three of the homes front onto the main street. And the other three front onto and are accessed from a rear alley. Each home is just over 1,500 square feet. The project also had "an ambitiously limited construction budget", so let's call it an example of good design not having to necessarily cost a lot of money.
I'm guessing their land costs were reasonable.
Photo: John J. Macaulay
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