AIA Billings Index Hits All-Time Low
from AIA
According to AIA Economics Research Manager Jenifer Riskus, business conditions remained weak at firms in all regions of the country and in all practice sectors. Many firms have been forced to make changes to staff benefits and salaries in light of the recession, with more than half of the AIA panelists indicating that they have instituted salary freezes. More

Stimulus Bill Offers Tax Relief for Small Businesses
from BusinessWeek
The new law, signed by President Obama on Feb. 17, contains several tax provisions that will help small businesses struggling in a tough economy. These changes affect federal tax liability only. More

Contract Magazine Sizes Up Design Industry Prospects for 2009
from Contract Magazine
“Never before have flexibility and agility been so critical for the A&D community,” states editor Jennifer Thiele Busch, who scopes out the contract landscape for signs of impending opportunity. More

Fireplaces Step Out for Air
from The New York Times
The outdoor fireplace, also known as the “poor man’s pool,” is gaining popularity as a low-maintenance way to extend living space. More

Architects and Designers Respond to the Changing Nature of Education Today
from Metropolis Magazine
Metropolis magazine surveys a number of outstanding K-12 school construction projects to gauge what the industry is learning about school design. More

Brown and Yale Put Building Plans on Hold, but Some Construction Goes Forward
from Buildings & Grounds
Despite the grim economic news, some colleges, looking to take advantage of lower construction costs, are going ahead with construction plans. Others, confronted with large losses in the value of their endowments, are delaying projects or canceling them for the foreseeable future. More

Advice to Designers: Do What You Do Best in This Economy
from Inside Tucson Business
While acknowledging that the industry, based on discretionary disposable income, has been impacted by the current recession, work is still being contracted and design services are still in demand, with a shift from new construction to contract design for remodeling. More

55+ Market Stalled for Now
from Nation's Building News
“What’s happening now, people have just stopped,” said Joanne (Jo) Theunissen, immediate past chair of the NAHB 50+ Housing Council, reporting the results of NAHB’s new 55+ Housing Market Index. “Our customers are usually in a good position to buy homes because they have spent years accumulating wealth — building up the equity in their current homes and establishing good credit,” Theunissen said. “But in the current market, they can’t find buyers for their existing homes and many are delaying their retirements altogether.” More