The American Institute of Architects reports that the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for March was 55.6, up from 53.3 in February and 44.9 in January. The score is a sign of continuing progress for the industry after a year of decline. (A score below 50 indicates decreasing billings.) Design inquiries and contracts are growing steadily as well, now at 66.9 compared to 61.2 last month.

“As business activity at architecture firms moves sharply toward recovery, it is very encouraging to simultaneously see such positive indicators of future project work increasing in the pipeline,” said AIA chief economist, Kermit Baker. “The activity architecture firms are seeing is a positive bellwether not only for the construction outlook, but also for the larger economy.”