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
Editor's broadbrush view on forms of electrical heating in context.
The pace of heating change; BSRIA market intelligence
Electric Dreams, Boiler Realities.
New President of ECA announced
Ruth Devine MBE becomes the 112th President of the Electrical Contractors Association.
New CIAT Professional Standards Competency Framework
Supercedes the 2019 Professional Standards Framework from 1 May 2025.
Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds
Free exhibition at the RIBA Architecture Gallery until 31 May.
PPN 021: Payment Spot Checks in Public Sub-Contracts
Published following consultation and influence from ECA.
Designing Buildings reaches 20,000 articles
We take a look back at some of the stranger contributions.
Lessons learned from other industries.
The Buildings of the Malting Industry. Book review.
Conserving places with climate resilience in mind.
Combating burnout.
The 5 elements of seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Shading for housing, a design guide
A look back at embedding a new culture of shading.
The Architectural Technology Awards
The AT Awards 2025 are open for entries!
ECA Blueprint for Electrification
The 'mosaic of interconnected challenges' and how to deliver the UK’s Transition to Clean Power.
Grenfell Tower Principal Contractor Award notice
Tower repair and maintenance contractor announced as demolition contractor.