Following a nine-month stretch of positive billings, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) showed no increase in design activity in January 2015. The slowdown was likely a result of winter weather conditions, says the American Institute of Architects.

Buoyed by sustained demand for apartments and condominiums, coupled with state and local governments moving ahead with delayed public projects, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has been positive for seven consecutive months.

Demand for Institutional project construction surges in second half of 2014. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflect nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending.

Inforgraphic: the Architectural Billing Index posted a second consecutive month of contraction in December, through demand for multi-family residential projects continues strongly.

Following consistently increasing demand for design services throughout most of 2013, the ABI has posted its first consecutive months of contraction since May and June of 2012, though strong demand continues for multi-family residential projects.

August showed further improvement in billings at U.S. architecture firms. The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 53.8 for the month reflected the strongest growth in activity in six months, and marked the twelfth time in the past 13 months that design activity has increased nationally. The strength in recent readings in the ABI, coupled with the extended period that architecture firms have been reporting generally favorable conditions, points to an impending healthy upturn in nonresidential activity.