image DB: 2000 Bing AI
Designing Buildings (DB) – host and partner to the IHBC’s Conservation Wiki – has reached a major milestone, with 20,000 articles published.
IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly said: ‘We’re hugely proud of our association with Designing Buildings in creating accessible, practice built environment information and guidance – especially quality assured heritage-related information for practitioners in the construction and development sector.’
‘It’s especially gratifying to see that the Designing Buildings knowledge, information and news project we joined in its early days is now so successful that it can underpin it service with more than 20,000 solid, clear and informative articles’.
Designing Buildings writes:
As the UK’s leading knowledge-sharing platform for the construction industry, this achievement marks over a decade of commitment to making construction knowledge freely available to everyone, from students and professionals to clients and contractors.
Launched in 2012, Designing Buildings was created to break down knowledge silos in the built environment. Its open-access model allows users to contribute, edit and explore a vast range of topics – from technical standards and best practice guides to project case studies, historical insights, and regulatory updates. It has grown to be the cornerstone of online construction knowledge.
What makes Designing Buildings unique is its collaborative spirit. The content is written by a community of contributors from across the built environment – engineers, architects, planners, surveyors, academics, and more. This bottom-up approach means the site grows organically, with articles reflecting the real questions and needs of people working in the industry every day.
But Designing Buildings isn’t all legislation and procurement frameworks. The site has also become known for its more offbeat and entertaining content that shines a light on the quirkier corners of construction. A few standout examples include:
- Buildings shaped like other things – The world’s most literal architecture, including teapots, baskets and pianos.
- Construction blunders – A fascinating look at some real mistakes we have witnessed.
- Weird words – From tongue twisters to odd sounding phases used in the industry.
- Types of drawings – How many can you think of?
- Stink pipes – Any guesses before you click on the link?
- How to choose the right hard hat – It’s not all about safety.
- Architectural oddities – Showcasing bizarre and unconventional buildings from around the world.
Looking ahead, Designing Buildings will continue expanding its library of knowledge, embracing new technologies and ensuring that the wealth of information created by the industry is preserved and shared.
Thank you to everyone who’s contributed to the world’s biggest open-access construction knowledge base – it’s a living archive of the construction industry’s collective intelligence. Here’s to the next 20,000!
See more on IHBC’s Conservation Wiki
