Australian Institute of Building

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Founded in 1951, incorporated in 1955 and granted a Royal Charter in 1969, the Australian Institute of Building (AIB) is an association of building professionals engaged in building practice, teaching or research throughout Australia and overseas.

The mission of AIB is to be a leading body of focus for the building industry, valued for its services to its members, reflecting its ideals for education, standards and ethics and the source of authoritative and visionary comment on behalf of professionals in the industry. Its objectives are:

• To promote excellence in the construction of buildings and just and honourable practices in the conduct of business;
• To advance the study of building and all kindred matters, arts and sciences;
• To encourage the friendly exchange between members of knowledge in practical, technical and ethical subjects; and
• To uphold the dignity of the profession of Building and the status of the Institute.

AIB promotes best practice in construction management, the provision of Australian university courses in building, publishes the Construct magazine and the Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building a peer-reviewed academic journal on building and construction techniques.

The current AIB National President is Mr Robin Fardoulys FAIB. AIB's General Manager is Troy Williams

[edit] History

Following World War II the building industry was confronted with a huge programme of civil and commercial building. This called for improved productivity, more intelligent use of available resources and the development of new techniques and new material. Leaders of the industry appreciated that building was developing from empirical craft processes to a technological discipline spanning the physical sciences and involving construction techniques which were unknown in the early part of the 20th Century.

Development in the science of environment and building services had also added a new dimension to building technology. A trend towards higher educational standards and a more positive approach to training executive and technical staff of building organisations was clearly required.

The effect of this impact on the building industry was to highlight the need for a professional body to promote efficiency and establish a high standard of technological education for those engaged on the construction side of the industry. A 'Committee of Investigation' was set up in 1947 by a convention called by the then Master Builders' Federation of Australia (MBFA) which, although firmly established since 1890, was not acceptable as a professional body because it was an employers' organisation. There was agreement that an Institute should be constituted on professional lines to represent the construction side of the building industry, and both the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) and the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust) agreed to assist in selecting the foundation membership. The Australian Institute of Builders was established in 1951 with a foundation membership determined by a selection committee in each state, comprising two representatives of the RAIA, one representative of the IEAust and two representatives of the MBFA. On 23 November 1951 the Foundation Dinner was held in Sydney and the then Mr Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia, was presented with a Certificate of Honorary Membership.

The Institute was incorporated in November 1955, granted Armorial Bearings in 1960 and incorporated by Royal Charter in October 1969. In 1967 the name changed to The Australian Institute of Building (AIB).

Having established itself and received recognition accorded by a Royal Charter, the Institute began to redefine its educational requirements for the Licentiate and Corporate (Member and Fellow) grades.

Recognition of the AIB as a professional institute was provided in the Commonwealth Gazette in March 1983. This approval, under the Industrial Research and Development Incentives Act (Cwlth) 1975 recognises Corporate members of the Institute as professionally qualified.

The By-laws and Regulations were amended to allow for changes to grades of member in 1981, 1992 and 1997. With the foundation of the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) in 1984, an act supported by AIB, the New Zealand Chapter of the AIB was disbanded. However a formal alliance agreement with NZIOB was established in 2005. A Hong Kong Chapter and Singapore Chapter were established in 1998.

[edit] International Relationships

In 1990 the AIB became an Associate of the International Council for Building Research (CIB). AIB has published refereed academic papers since 1986.

The AIB continues to have a close relationship with both the New Zealand Institute of Buillding (NZIOB) and the United Kingdom based Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). In 1997 the AIB became a foundation member of the International Association for the Professional Management of Construction (IAPMC).

Sources: AIB Official History (2001)
The Australian Institute of Building
Canberra, Australia