Buildtonic founder Liam Walker gains chartered membership of the CIOB

Liam Walker, founder and director of Buildtonic Ltd, has been awarded Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and can now use the MCIOB designation, the National Federation of Builders (NFB) said in September.

Buildtonic is an NFB Heritage Approved Contractor Member. The NFB describes it as a heritage and residential main contractor working across Hampshire, Surrey and London. It manages high-end refurbishments, extensions and remedial work on listed and historic buildings, and acts as Principal Contractor.

What chartered membership involves

According to the NFB, candidates for Chartered Membership need a mix of academic qualifications and senior hands-on experience, and must show both through a detailed professional review. The CIOB describes its Professional Review as an assessment of a candidate's "knowledge, experience, and competence in the field of construction management".

Walker said: "I started at the very bottom of this industry, so this one means a lot." He added that chartership is about being held to a standard.

From graduate to chartered founder

The NFB said Walker graduated from the Bartlett, UCL, in 2021 with a degree in Project Management for Construction, and then spent three years as an Assistant Project Manager at WSP before growing Buildtonic into the contractor it is today.

Buildtonic's own website says the company was founded in 2021. Companies House shows Buildtonic Ltd was incorporated on 12 April 2021, with a registered office in Farnham. The register lists its nature of business as the construction of commercial buildings and of domestic buildings.

James M. Butcher, NFB Deputy Chief Executive, said professionalism is one of the federation's core values and that Walker had embodied it by achieving chartered membership. He added: "Buildtonic has gone from strength to strength and looks to have a very bright future ahead."

Next step: chartered company status

The NFB said the next step is for Buildtonic to begin the process of becoming a CIOB Chartered Building Company.

The CIOB's company membership page sets out what that involves. A firm must be able to demonstrate that it has been trading for at least two years. The same page states that 50% of the board of directors must be chartered members of a recognised professional institute, and that one of them must be a Chartered member of the CIOB.

Walker's MCIOB status means Buildtonic now has a director who is a Chartered member of the CIOB, as that page requires.