Most read news in 2019
In 2019, a year of turmoil, both for the industry and the wider political establishment, the most read news stories on Designing Buildings Wiki were dominated by Brexit and the ongoing fallout from the Grenfell Tower fire:
- What does Brexit mean for construction?
- BS 5839-1: Fire detection and fire alarm system for buildings.
- NEC4.
- Hackitt review of the building regulations and fire safety, final report.
- Tackling the construction skills shortage.
- ACM cladding testing by BRE.
- Changes to Approved Document B following the Hackitt review.
- Level 3 BIM.
- Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.
- Independent review of the building regulations and fire safety.
Featured articles and news
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.