Win £500 and a commendation from the CIOB
We’ve teamed up with The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to launch an open competition for the best new article added to Designing Buildings Wiki.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 5PM FRIDAY 3 MAY.
Here are three top tips for how to win:
- Sanity check. Get someone else to read your article.
- Write facts not opinions. You shouldn’t need to write ‘I’ or ‘we’.
- Think encyclopaedia not magazine. Would your article work on Wikipedia?
It’s a great opportunity to get a competition win on your CV and raise your profile at the same time.
Click here to find out more about the competition.
Two brilliant new articles by The College of Estate Management:
- Change is coming. So what are the differences between NRM2 and SMM7? A section by section comparison. Read more …
- What issues influence the selection of structural systems in office design? Read more …
And a couple of other fascinating new articles:
- Can spiders be used to stop the spread of woodworm? A recent trial suggests there may be scope for using spiders rather than sprays to control woodworm populations. The introduction of a few spiders can break the woodworm cycle by catching the beetles before they lay eggs. Read more...
- Live event production. A comprehensive description of this rapidly changing discipline. It’s construction, but not as we know it. Read more…
If you’re not already, follow us on Twitter @DesigningB to be kept up to date with the latest additions to the site and to share your feedback with us.
Featured articles and news
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.
Planning reform: draft NPPF and industry responses.
Last chance to comment on proposed changes to the NPPF.
A Regency palace of colour and sensation. Book review.
Delayed, derailed and devalued
How the UK’s planning crisis is undermining British manufacturing.
How much does it cost to build a house?
A brief run down of key considerations from a London based practice.
The need for a National construction careers campaign
Highlighted by CIOB to cut unemployment, reduce skills gap and deliver on housing and infrastructure ambitions.
AI-Driven automation; reducing time, enhancing compliance
Sustainability; not just compliance but rethinking design, material selection, and the supply chains to support them.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation In the Built Environment
New CIOB Technical Information Sheet by Colin Booth, Professor of Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Turning Enquiries into Profitable Construction Projects
Founder of Develop Coaching and author of Building Your Future; Greg Wilkes shares his insights.
IHBC Signpost: Poetry from concrete
Scotland’s fascinating historic concrete and brutalist architecture with the Engine Shed.
Demonstrating that apprenticeships work for business, people and Scotland’s economy.
Scottish parents prioritise construction and apprenticeships
CIOB data released for Scottish Apprenticeship Week shows construction as top potential career path.
From a Green to a White Paper and the proposal of a General Safety Requirement for construction products.
Creativity, conservation and craft at Barley Studio. Book review.
The challenge as PFI agreements come to an end
How construction deals with inherited assets built under long-term contracts.
Skills plan for engineering and building services
Comprehensive industry report highlights persistent skills challenges across the sector.
Choosing the right design team for a D&B Contract
An architect explains the nature and needs of working within this common procurement route.
Statement from the Interim Chief Construction Advisor
Thouria Istephan; Architect and inquiry panel member outlines ongoing work, priorities and next steps.