Chartered Association of Building Engineers was founded as the Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors in 1925 in London. The Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors became the Association of Building Engineers in 1993 and then the Chartered Association of Building Engineers in 2014, its current name. The IAAS was among the bodies which opposed a draft bill which was presented to Parliament in 1927 by the Royal Institute of British Architects' Registration Committee in the course of events which resulted in the passing of the Architects Act 1931. Under the 1931 Act, the Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom was established with the duty of setting up, maintaining and publishing the Register of Architects. The IAAS was among the bodies named, together with the RIBA, in the First Schedule of the Act as being entitled to appoint one member in respect of every five hundred of their own members. The Register of Architects is now maintained and published under the Architects Act 1997, which reconstituted ARCUK. In consequence, the IAAS was no longer an appointing body, nor any of the other bodies named in the 1931 Act, which has been repealed. In 2020, Chartered Association of Building Engineers opened a second office in Hong Kong, chaired by Kyran Sze.
Structure
CABE is a membership organisation and is governed by a board of directors that sets the objectives of the organisation – the executive team deliver these objectives. Entry to membership of CABE is via several routes and members must undertake continuing professional development throughout the lifetime of their membership of the association in order to maintain their professional standards. CABE has several designations for members, these are:
Chartered Fellow is the highest level of CABE membership and reflects the knowledge, expertise, and experience of the industry’s most experienced professionals and a commitment to furthering the profession of building engineering.
Chartered Member Building Engineers have a clear commitment to high ethical standards, professionalism, and technical competence recognised by the award of the additional title of Chartered Building Engineer, which is a regulated title under the Association’s Royal Charter.
Corporate Members demonstrate a clear commitment to high ethical standards, to cross sector collaboration, and to continuous professional development.
Graduate Members focus on converting the theoretical knowledge gained as a student into practical experience.
Associate Members demonstrates a member’s level of expertise and professional competence. Considered to be one of the preparatory routes to full chartered memberships.
Technician Members a sign of professional commitment to working towards the highest level of competency at the start of a career.
Student Membership is free and available to part and full-time students studying in a field relevant to the built environment and shows enthusiasm and commitment to a career within the industry.
In addition the membership grades for individuals, and work with CABE to implement change in each respective area of the industry.
Impact
CABE holds an annual conference and awards ceremony in the latter half of the year which bring together members of the construction community from throughout the UK as well as international chapters. The awards honour innovative projects from around the world in five different categories: New Build Award, Preservation and Conservation Award, Sustainability Award, Maintenance and Refurbishment Award, and Building Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Award. CABE holds a smaller scale of conference called buildeng regularly throughout the year and is attended based on region. The buildeng conferences offer continual professional development opportunities. CABE provides accreditation for academic courses which confirms that academic programmes are aligned with a competency framework and that the academic partners meet high standards of education, welfare, and good practice.
Regions
CABE has regions in the United Kingdom and Ireland each with elected Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee, these are:
