The power of photography

The cliché says that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the Art of Building competition has shown that a picture goes where words cannot.

A look through our past competition winners reveals a stunning array of insights into the world around us, many of which I’d struggle to put into words. 

In those photographs, I see vignettes of what it means to call a place home. I see exposés of poor quality or safety practices. I see the universality of the basic need for places to sleep, play or worship. The extraordinary beauty of simple yet symbolic architectural forms. The tension of humanity’s struggle to thrive in threatening environments. The whole gamut of emotions from awe to fear to anger to love.

All without words.

Transcending language, breaking down barriers

Having read messages from the people submitting entries in past years, I can tell that English is not the first language of most of them. But that doesn’t matter. It’s the image that speaks. 

The photographs often say a lot about the photographer: The passion that many people have for a project they helped to deliver, or a place they call home. 

The submissions to the Art of Building seem to break down barriers between cultures and reveal common human experiences. After all, what can be more universal than the human need for shelter?

This is the power of photography. Especially in a world where so many of us are carrying around sophisticated cameras in our pockets, anybody can take a world-class photo that educates, inspires, and reveals the art in the everyday.

The competition

As an international organisation, the CIOB is thrilled that the Art of Building competition has reached such a diverse global audience and given voice to so many people.

The competition, which will be open from 11 October to 25 November 2024, is now in its 15th year.

Free to enter for anyone, anywhere in the world, the competition has attracted over four thousand entries in recent years, and I hope that this year we will see the same interest. 

While many submissions in the past have come from those of us who work in the built environment, the majority do not. They are at the other end of the telescope: the users of what we create.

If you need any further encouragement to make a submission, there are cash prizes on offer, and one award is voted on by the public.

It is the highlight of my year to dive into the pool of images that are submitted. I’ve never seen a bad entry; they all, in their own way, give insight into the fabulous world of the built environment that shapes our lives.

Showing our pride

The CIOB is delighted to provide the platform for celebrating construction. The competition has attracted significant media attention in the past, including coverage by the BBC. And the social media reach is thriving. Our Instagram account now has more than 150,000 followers.

Let’s face it: the construction sector is not always the best at promoting itself. While we often feel immense pride in helping to bring these fabulous structures to fruition – the strong sense of legacy and “I built that!” – we’re not always confident in communicating those accomplishments. We might talk about the technical accomplishments, but not the emotional qualities that go beyond words and numbers.

Perhaps that’s why the Art of Building competition is so successful. 

We in the sector know the importance of the built environment, and this competition is one way we encourage the world to step back and appreciate the majesty and complexity of the world we create.

I encourage you to enter!