Billings to architecture firms dropped in July, but remain in growth mode, the American Institute of Architects said, with the South accounting for much of the growth. The AIA’s monthly billing index registered 55.2 in the South, 49.6 in the West, 49.3 in the Midwest and 48 in the Northeast. The Midwest might have dipped below growth mode — any reading above 50 indicates an increase in billings, — architect firms in Iowa are hiring, Jessica Reinert, AIA Iowa executive director, said in a statement. “Despite the dip in the overall ABI number in July, firms are still reporting a healthy increase in new projects,” she said. “Most Iowa firms are looking to build their teams and are hiring design professionals to handle their current workloads, which is a great sign that the local market is strong.”