Door and window manufacturers were assured this week that the result of a presidential election should have minimal impact on demands stemming from housing. But that didn’t stop the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) from delving into the election as part of the lineup for its virtual fall conference. The keynote session Wednesday focused […]

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) released a report this week that notes the demand for design services from architecture firms began to stabilize in June, following their peak declines in April. The AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for June was 40.0 compared to 32.0 in May. The May ABI score indicates that a […]

Even though the industry is beginning to recognize through recent studies the importance of design to increase product sales, demand for design services seems to be lagging according to a new report released recently from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA’s July Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score remained essentially flat (50.1) in comparison […]

Is construction gaining or waning? That was the question industry economists addressed recently in a spring economic forecast webinar hosted by CMD Group. In terms of the overall U.S. economy, American Institute of Architects (AIA) chief economist Kermit Baker­ said that despite a weak first quarter, gross domestic product gains are expected to be 1.5 […]

Remodelers, it’s time to get happy again. During a recent webinar hosted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) at Harvard University, panelists proclaimed the remodeling industry is on the rise. They went further than just a proclamation, though, breaking down what’s driving the comeback, including identifying specific trends in the fenestration market. “In […]

How is the housing recovery faring? Well it depends on where you live as major discrepancies still exist in different markets. Slow income growth is also prohibiting home purchases, while “part of the slow recovery has to do with slow recovery in employment,” says David Crowe, chief economist for the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). […]

Though the government is back up and running the problems are far from over and its effect on the housing and construction markets, and overall economy, remains to be seen. That was the consensus among panelists in today’s Economic Webcast: The 2014 Outlook: Emerging Opportunities for Construction, sponsored by Reed Construction Data. Dr. Bernard Markstein, […]

Last week, some of the industry’s leading economists took a look at the housing market and where it is headed during a webinar sponsored by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). The webinar, titled “A Construction Recovery at Last—but How Long and How Strong?,” featured Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of […]

By Sahely Mukerji Home improvement spending declined about 20 percent during the economic downturn, but has stabilized recently, said Kermit Baker, chief economist of American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C., during his presentation at Reed Constructions Data’s Webinar, “Flat, Down or Up? Where is Construction Heading?” on October 13. Other speakers included Ken Simonson, […]