U.S. Architects Report Decrease in Design Services

---

Architecture billings paused in November, after six months of increasing demand, according to the American Institute of Architects. 

The Architecture billings index, a leading market indicator of future construction, reached 49.8 in November, down from 51.6 in October. In September, the index reached 54.3, the second-highest reading of the year. 

The November score indicates a slight drop in design services -- any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings. 

"Architecture firms continue to report widely varying views of business conditions across the country. This slight dip is likely just a minor, and hopefully temporary, lull in the progress of current design projects," AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, said in the report. "But there is a continued uneasiness in the marketplace as businesses attempt to determine the future direction of demand for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings."

The index for new projects inquiry reached 57.8 in November, down from 61.5 the previous month. 

Regionally, the highest average was in the South (52.0), followed by the Midwest (51.6), West (50.2) and Northeast (47.5). By sector, the highest index score was for multi-family residential (55.2), followed by mixed practice (53.1), commercial / industrial (48.6) and institutional (47.7).