Designing Buildings Wiki has been created with one simple goal:

[edit] To put all construction industry knowledge in one place, available to everyone for free.

Construction in the UK employs 3 million people in 280,000 organisations, each holding a vast amount of expert knowledge. Everything from how to create a brief for a new project, right through to getting tax breaks for water efficient taps. But much of that knowledge is inaccessible, fragmented and dispersed. If we put it all in one place, where everyone can find it, Construction UK will be more efficient, more collaborative, more innovative and better able to compete in the global market place.

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Designing Buildings Wiki is supported by; The Institution of Civil Engineers, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, The Chartered Institute of Building, The Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation, U and I Group PLC, BRE Trust, BSRIA and The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Designing Buildings Wiki is owned by Designing Buildings Limited, a company founded by project manager David Trench CBE FCIOB , architect Dr Gregor Harvie RIBA, construction law solicitor Richard Winward LLB FCIArb FCInst CES and chartered banker and finance director Martin Cantor.

• David Trench, Chairman of Designing Buildings Wiki, said: “We have spent a long time talking about the problems with the industry, but we can all help improve it just by sharing what we know."

• Nathan Baker, ICE’s Director of Engineering Knowledge, said, “ICE is the world’s oldest engineering institution, established nearly 200 years ago. We have over 86,000 members based in 150 different countries. Our knowledge base is rich and diverse, and as a Learned Society, fostering and sharing this knowledge through a variety of resources sits at the heart of what we do. It encourages innovation and excellence in the industry – and ultimately benefits society."

• Andrew Morris, Partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, said: “The site will provide an invaluable way for architects, engineers, and professionals from across the construction industry to work together."

• Julian Barwick, Executive Director at Development Securities (now U and I Group PLC), said: “The Designing Buildings Wiki site consolidates highly relevant information, clarifying terminology and acronyms and providing a roadmap for quick reference on property and construction matters.”

• Saleem Akram, Director of Construction Innovation and Development at The Chartered Institute of Building said: "Designing Buildings Wiki is becoming an indispensable resource for anyone involved in building."

• Deborah Pullen, Group Research Director at BRE said: "The BRE Trust has an overarching remit to support the construction sector in delivering a more sustainable built environment which meets the demanding needs of its clients and the wider society. The provision of leading edge, validated information is critical in achieving this end and we are delighted to sponsor Designing Buildings Wiki in its mission to make knowledge freely available."

• Jayne Sunley, Information & Knowledge Manager at BSRIA said: "As digital working becomes a solid part of the industry, people want free and easily accessible information. Designing Buildings Wiki has an invaluable role to play in this digital revolution as a provider of innovative and relevant information from the industry for the industry."
• Adam Endacott, Communications Director from CIAT said: “As an Institute, we advance standards of education, competence, practice and conduct of our members who design and facilitate the integration of technology into architecture. The dissemination of knowledge is crucial to both these aims, and Designing Buildings Wiki provides the ideal online platform, allowing the Institute and our members to collaborate on the creation and sharing of practical knowledge for the benefit of all. Tackling the skills gap in the construction industry is not just about training new people, it is about making knowledge as accessible as possible so that people can stay up-to-date, can learn from others and are ready to face new challenges.”

Designing Buildings Wiki is for use in England and Wales (although Welsh building regulations may differ from English building regulations). However, much of the content of the site is also applicable in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and many other countries around the world adopt similar procedures.

• For information about using the site see our Help page.

• For guidance about the writing style see our quick style guide.

• For terms of use see our terms and conditions.

• You can contact us by clicking on the 'submit comment' link at the bottom of the page or by emailing [email protected]