Time is up

Pens down please - time is up.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered The Chartered Institute of Building article competition.

Wow – what an amazing variety of entries we've had. Everything from using spiders to get rid of woodworm, to conical roof slating, to plastic bridges. We will spend the next few weeks reading through them all to produce a shortlist of 5 from which one overall winner will be selected (it's a bit like MasterChef). We will announce the winners and commended articles in the second week of June.

But now you have the hang of it, and realise it really isn’t difficult, why not keep on writing?

You can help improve the industry by sharing your knowledge and you can also raise your own profile. Around 10% of our articles top Google search results, so write an article for Designing Buildings Wiki and the chances are, when people Google your subject, they will find you.

Try Googling the articles written by our previous competition winners “Geothermal Pile Foundations” and “The History of the Architectural Profession” - you should find they come top.

Featured articles

The green belt:

Sensible protection for the countryside, or a barrier to growth that preserves industrial agriculture whilst exacerbating flooding? Read more

Construction disputes:

"It was clear that dealing with the building industry was just as tricky as dealing with the KGB." Read more

Architect’s fees:

This one inevitably continues to attract controversy, particularly in relation to the 2012 BD survey that suggested “…55% are paid fee levels of 4% or less...” Surely 8-12% is a more normal and sustainable level? Take a few deep breaths, have a look and comment or edit. Read more

The design timeframe for smart cities:

80 weeks or 80 years? "Develop a roadmap that focuses on short, medium and long-term strategies." Read more