Navigating the new economy at AIA25!

The economy is shifting—are you ready?

From persistent inflation and looming tariffs to construction backlogs and labor shortages, today’s economic landscape is anything but predictable. As AIA’s Chief Economist, I know how architecture firms are working hard to adapt—and why they need better tools to do it.

That’s why we’ve created a new CE track for AIA25—Navigating the new economy. This 28-session track is designed to help architects and firm leaders not just survive, but thrive.

That same focus extends to the expo floor, where the Prosper Zone returns with a revamped lineup of high-impact sessions designed to boost your business IQ and connect you with peers and experts who are navigating the same challenges.

Decode AEC market trends & build profit in a shifting market

The economic factors that matter most to architects—construction spending, interest rates, tariffs, material costs, supply chains, and labor trends—are all in flux. Our goal is to help you keep up and get ahead.

You’ll walk away from AIA25 with a sharper understanding of:

How interest rates and inflation impact your cash flow and project pipeline
What economic signals like real estate health and infrastructure spending mean for your firm
Where opportunities are growing—in reuse, multifamily housing, health care, and more
How to futureproof your firm against economic, legal, and workforce risks

Five can’t-miss sessions from the track

Thriving in this Uncertain Economy: Q&A with AIA’s Chief Economist, Kermit Baker

Bring your questions, leave with real-time answers. This informal session covers inflation, interest rates, labor, material costs, the construction outlook, and how macroeconomic conditions are reshaping the market for architectural services.

Why it matters: Architects are navigating unprecedented economic volatility. Understanding trends is critical to making smart, resilient business decisions.

Housing Trends Shaping the Front-End of the Economy: Q&A with Kermit Baker, AIA Chief Economist, and Chris Herbert, Managing Director of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies

Join me and Chris Herbert for an insightful conversation on demographic shifts, migration across the U.S., housing affordability, climate change, immigration patterns, and how architects can leverage these trends to unlock new market opportunities.

Why it matters: Even if you don’t currently work in residential design, understanding housing market trends is key to understanding broader economic shifts and their impact on other construction sectors.

Architects & the Economy—What Architecture Firm Billings Tell Us

For 30 years, the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has served as a vital indicator of design activity and future construction trends—but it’s just one of a slew of indicators you should be tracking. This session brings together AIA’s top researchers—Michele Russo, Jennifer Riskus—and industry leaders Billy Strait (Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope) and Tim Dufault, FAIA, (Concert Inc.) to break down what the ABI and other indicators mean for your practice.

Why it matters: Understand sector momentum, benchmark your firm’s performance, and make data-informed business decisions that move you forward.

Building Beyond Today: Preparing Construction Leaders for Tomorrow’s Economy

Join Michael Guckes, chief economist at ConstructConnect, as he unpacks which construction markets are growing, which are slowing, and where the biggest opportunities lie. Get actionable insights to help you navigate financial markets, construction risk, and evolving trade policy.

Why it matters: Understand where to focus your energy and resources to future-proof your firm in a volatile economy.

How to Protect Your Firm and Prosper in an Evolving Landscape

Based on insights from the AIA Trust Professional Liability Survey, this session explores the contracts, omissions, and emerging risks reshaping the architectural profession. Whether you’re running a solo firm or a 100-person practice, you’ll gain concrete strategies to build long-term resilience.

Why it matters: Identify hidden risks, elevate your contracts, and lead your firm with confidence through the next wave of economic change.

See you in Boston

I hope you’ll join me and our slate of experts at AIA25, June 4–7. This new track is designed to deliver more than analysis—it’s about actionable knowledge. Our goal is to equip architects like you to lead with economic intelligence and build firms that are resilient, forward-thinking, and thriving—even in uncertain times.

Kermit Baker, Ph.D., Hon. AIA
Chief Economist, The American Institute of Architects

As AIA’s Chief Economist, I track the business and construction trends that impact architectural practice. Previously, I led the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and served as director of the economics department at Reed Business Information. I hold a master’s in urban planning from Harvard and a Ph.D. from MIT.