The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has reported that the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) increased three points in October 2011 after a substantial fall in September.

The ABI score for October 2011 was 49.4, compared with 46.9 in September, although any score under 50 represents a continued decrease in demand for design services.

The new projects enquiry index stood at 57.3, up from a mark of 54.3 in September 2011.

In terms of region, the north-east of the US recorded the highest ABI score of 51.7, the south was second at 49.1, the mid-west recorded an index value of 47.7, and the west was the lowest at 43.5.

Commercial and industrial sectors recorded a value of 53.5, multi-family residential construction came in at 51.3, institutional construction scored 47.3, while mixed practices reached only 42.