Billings Stall Across the Board in Credit-crunched Economy
Residential firms particularly see credit woes extending to 2008
A second month of slower billings growth was reported at architecture firms in September, bringing the ABI to its lowest score in nearly a year and a half, reports research specialist Jennifer Riskus. And ongoing troubles in credit markets continue to have an impact on projects at architecture firms; firms with a residential specialization have been particularly hard hit.

Taking Care of Business
Letters to the Editor
Several readers had a lot to say about Kevin W. Sloan’s article “Drawing Room Lost,” about the art of hand drawing as a tool for committing a building to memory.

Take ADVANTAGE of your AIA Membership
The AIA Advantage program provides members with discounts on many products and services selected to meet their business needs. Recently we added FonVantage by Fionda to offer you communications solutions and FedEx® and FedEx Kinko’s® for your printing and shipping needs. We’ve also arranged more robust member benefits with Dell and Hertz® Rent-A-Car, including deals on Hertz’s new fuel-efficient vehicles, the Green Collection. With stronger benefits from Hertz, we are ending our partnerships with Avis and Budget car rental effective November 1.

kiplinger connection
The Economy • Human Resources• The World
Foreign Relations: Russia becomes competitive.
Fuel Outlook: The higher cost of staying warm.
Real Estate: Favorable outlook for architects and their salaries.