American Institute of Architects While the construction market held up surprisingly well in the second half of 2020, with only modest declines expected, design activity at architectural firms for new building construction projects continued to weaken, pointing to the potential for further dips in construction activity in 2021. This weakness will contribute to a projected 5.7% decline in overall construction spending, according to a new consensus forecast from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). However, a recovery is anticipated in 2022, with virtually all major building segments projected to see increases. According to the report, “The AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI), which measures revenue trends at US architecture firms, recorded a decline starting last March and has seen additional declines in every subsequent month. Given that AIA research has demonstrated that the ABI leads nonresidential construction spending by an average of nine to 12 months, construction activity in 2021 is projected to be weak.”