 WORK ON THE BOARDS SURVEY
Billings, Inquiries End the Year on an Uptick
Most jobs complete design, construction phases without serious problems
Business conditions at architecture firms remained strong in December, and inquiries began to rebound after slowing in the late fall. Billings growth resumed in the West after recent declines, and commercial/industrial firms continued to report the strongest billings by sector, reports AIA Research Specialist Jennifer Riskus. Considering projects that had been worked on over the past five years, firms reported that 67 percent of design awards (by dollar volume) were for projects for which the design and construction phases proceeded without major problems. 
kiplinger
connection
Economic Outlook • Tech • Energy
Economic Outlook: Flagging consumer confidence not good.
Tech: Portable Web access is a trend for 2008.
Energy: Gas, diesel keep creeping up; natural gas down.
Taking Care of Business
Letters to the Editor
This week’s mail brings a mixed bag of e-letters about a variety of topics. Most popular for comment is last week’s Emerging Professionals article on NAAB accreditation as the path to licensure. These letters join the 44 comments (a record number) on last week’s blog dealing with the same topic. Another reader fondly remembers George Notter, who passed away December 26. Still others comment on one of AIA Westchester’s design award winners and the Green Globes program. And, if you agree with last week’s poll about how bad it is to pay $3/gallon for gasoline, read what an architect in the Virgin Islands has to say.
Nine Architects Declare Candidacy for Three Offices
Elections for the Institute’s next first vice president/president-elect, vice presidents, and secretary will be held in May at the AIA 2008 National Convention and Expo in Boston.
Tall Buildings Council Hosts “Tall and Green” in Dubai
Eighth World Congress to take place March 3–5
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's (CTBUH) 8th World Congress, on the theme of “Tall & Green: Typology for a Sustainable Future” promises to be the most significant international gathering in the organization’s 40-year history. More than 350 delegates from 35 countries already are registered to hear keynote speakers including His Excellency Mohamed Ali Alabbar of Emaar, the Dubai-based development company; Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago; Peter Rees of the City of London, designer of the Burj Dubai, Adrian Smith, FAIA; renowned structural engineers Bill Baker and Les Robertson; and architects Rem Koolhaas and Ken Yeang. Attendees will receive technical papers from the congress’s 92 speakers as an 850-page proceedings capturing the state-of-the-art in developing, designing, building, and operating sustainable skyscrapers. Congress highlights also will include the technical tours of the Burj Dubai, Emirates Tower, Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, and Index Tower, and social-networking events such as a welcoming reception and a congress dinner. Emaar is the congress’s main sponsor and co-organizer of the invitational golf day on March 2. For more detailed information and registration, visit the CTBUH Web site. |
