CIOB History

The history of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is one full of change - changes which have inspired fresh momentum into it at every stage of its development.

Since its inception as The Builders Society in 1834 by a small group of London's leading master builders, including such luminaries as Thomas Cubitt and Samuel Morton Peto, the Institute has been working to promote and set standards of excellence in the construction industry.

By 1884 the society was incorporated under the Companies Act and renamed The Institute of Builders. In keeping with Victorian values of the time the Institute's core remit was for progress and continued improvement. That included responding to new Government Bills and legislation that would form the future of the construction industry; a purpose that still exists today.

After the Second World War and the pressing demand for social and industrial building work, the Institute made significant progress to plug the urgent gap for better construction management skills that would make best use of scarce national resources.

The Building Management Notebook, written and published by the Institute in the early 1960s, was the seminal text for construction and led the way in reshaping the industry. As members work continued to diversify the Institute changed its name in 1965 to The Institute of Building.

By 1970 the Institute was registered as an educational charity and through its Site Management Education and Training Schemes formed the roles, and developed the competence, of thousands of site supervisors and managers. Together with their corresponding National Vocational Qualifications also awarded by the CIOB, these training programmes and qualifications still represent the most comprehensive standards and training available for site managers and supervisors anywhere in the world.

The award of Royal Charter status in 1980 reaffirmed the Institute's position as not being formed solely in the interest of members, but rather with a wider duty to provide public benefit.

Project management in construction and property development also have their roots at the CIOB. An extensive debate within the Institute during the 1980s, firmly established project management as a client-orientated discipline. The Code of Practice for Project Management was first published by the Institute in 1992 and is now in its 4th edition. The Code has made a significant impact on the industry, both in the UK and further afield, and is the premier guide for project management in construction.

175 years on from those humble beginnings and the Institute has over 40,000 members working in every corner of the globe. The legacy of what CIOB members have achieved is in every area of human life; from the creation of schools, hospitals, homes and offices to cultural and sporting venues.

Over the years the Institute's community has been the catalyst behind fair pay systems, the setting up of the first general contractor, and has taken the standard of construction education to degree level and beyond. Initiatives like the Considerate Constructors Scheme and more recently TrustMark have also been driven by the CIOB's work, and its collective commitment to make a difference.