Latest News

WASHINGTON – Dec. 6, 2022 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) commissioned a study that examines student loan debt to gain a better understanding of how these challenges affect the profession and different architect demographic groups. The study examines the ways in which student loan debt impacts architects, from jobs taken to life choices made. Global market research company Ipsos was...

Damen Silos, a unique, 23.4-acre State-owned property at a critical point along the South Branch of the Chicago River, has been vacant since 1977. Given its potential to reactivate the South Branch between Pilsen and McKinley Park, several organizations, as well as AIA Chicago members, are calling for the site to be preserved and reimagined.   Over the past year and...

WASHINGTON – November 16, 2022 – Demand for design services from architecture firms softened considerably in October, according to a new report from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for October was 47.7, the first decline in billings since January 2021 (any score below 50 indicates a decline in firm billings). Inquiries into new projects...

On the opening day of the 2022 United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, AIA Chicago sent a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar, to urge them to continue our city’s commitment to and accelerate investments in the worldwide effort to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, and preferably below 1.5 degrees Celsius.  We informed...

WASHINGTON – November 4, 2022 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) have published a supplementary edition of the Guides for Equitable Practice, focusing on schools and institutions. Equity in Architectural Education provides actions and prompts intended to inspire discussions about creating welcoming environments to attract and retain those currently underrepresented in academia and in the...

WASHINGTON – October 19, 2022 – For the twentieth consecutive month architecture firms reported increasing demand for design services in September, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for September was 51.7 down from a score of 53.3 in August, indicating essentially stable business conditions for architecture firms...