wbdg.org

What is WBDG?

WBDG, the Whole Building Design Guide, is a knowledge resource focused on the design, construction, and operation of buildings. It is maintained by the National Institute of Building Sciences and is aimed primarily at architects, engineers, facility managers, and other building professionals.

Its core idea is that buildings perform best when their systems and goals are considered together rather than in isolation. Content is organized around design objectives such as accessibility, sustainability, energy efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

What it offers

• Guidance and criteria for planning and delivering building projects.
• Federal and industry resources, including standards and reference material used in public-sector work.
• Project management and delivery information, covering processes from early planning through operations.
• Building types and systems pages, with recommendations tailored to specific facilities and technologies.

WBDG is typically used as a reference during design decisions, briefing, and research. Its strength is breadth and authority, especially for government-related projects. As with any large reference site, some sections may be more current than others, so it is best treated as a starting point alongside project-specific codes and professional advice. It is free to access at WBDG.

What types of building design and construction resources does WBDG provide?

WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide) is a knowledge platform focused on the planning, design, construction, and operation of buildings, particularly institutional and federal facilities. It organizes guidance around a "whole building" approach, meaning it treats a project as an integrated system rather than a set of disconnected components.

Its resources typically cover:

• Design disciplines — architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing guidance.
• Building types — reference material for facilities such as offices, laboratories, hospitals, schools, and courthouses.
• Project phases — planning, programming, design, construction, and operations and maintenance.
• Cross-cutting topics — sustainability, energy performance, resilience, security, accessibility, and cost management.
• Codes, standards, and references — pointers to relevant criteria and technical documents.

The audience is mainly design and construction professionals, facility managers, and government project teams who need vetted technical guidance rather than product sales pages. Its strength is breadth and public-sector orientation; a trade-off is that content can read as formal and standards-driven, so it may be less suited to quick consumer-level renovation questions. For complementary perspectives, Website Name and Website Name cover related territory, though WBDG remains the most directly focused on whole-building, lifecycle guidance.

Who can benefit from using WBDG?

WBDG, the Whole Building Design Guide, is a knowledge resource focused on integrated, whole-building approaches to design, construction and facility management. Its main audiences are professionals who make decisions across a building's lifecycle.

Primary audiences

• Architects and engineers — reference guidance on design objectives, building types and systems integration.
• Facility and property managers — operations, maintenance and renovation planning perspectives.
• Construction and project managers — process, delivery and commissioning-related material.
• Government and institutional staff — many resources reflect public-sector building practices and standards.
• Students and educators — an orientation to how building disciplines connect.

How different users benefit

Trade-offs

The material is broad and reference-oriented, so it may suit those seeking principles and frameworks rather than quick, project-specific answers. Specialists may find some content introductory, while generalists may need to follow cited standards for detail. It is generally most useful to people who want to coordinate multiple building disciplines rather than work within a single trade.

How does WBDG help with federal building projects?

WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide) is a knowledge resource for planning, designing, building and operating federal facilities. It is aimed primarily at project teams working on U.S. government buildings, though architects, engineers, facility managers and contractors in other sectors may also find it useful.

Its main contributions include:

• Guidance by building type and system. Pages cover functional areas such as offices, laboratories, hospitals and courthouses, alongside technical topics like structural, mechanical and electrical systems.
• Project-management support. Material on programming, budgeting, delivery methods and commissioning helps teams structure work from early planning through handover.
• Federal-specific context. Because it focuses on government work, it addresses requirements and processes that commonly apply to federal projects, such as sustainable design goals and security considerations.

A practical trade-off is depth versus scope: WBDG gathers many subjects in one place, which suits teams needing orientation across disciplines, but it is not a substitute for project-specific engineering, local code review or contract documents. Users typically treat it as a starting reference and then consult specialists.

Related official resources include GSA for federal real property and acquisition, and NIST for standards and measurement guidance that can inform technical decisions.

What are the key sections or tools available on the WBDG website?

WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide) is a knowledge platform for building professionals, organized around project delivery rather than a single product. Its main value is guidance that connects design intent to performance outcomes across a building's life cycle.

Key sections and tools

• Building types: Pages covering facilities such as laboratories, schools, healthcare, offices and courthouses, each outlining functional needs, planning issues and design criteria.
• Design disciplines: Guidance on structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, interior and landscape design, plus sustainability and energy topics.
• Project management: Resources on programming, budgeting, acquisition, commissioning and operations, aimed at owners and facility managers.
• Codes and standards: Pointers to federal requirements, accessibility guidance and related criteria used in public-sector projects.
• Resource pages and case studies: Examples, references and lessons learned that illustrate how guidance is applied.
• Federal and professional context: Content shaped by U.S. government practice, so it is especially suited to public agencies, architects, engineers and students.

The trade-off is depth versus breadth: WBDG is strong as a starting reference and for aligning teams on requirements, but it typically complements, rather than replaces, manufacturer data, local codes or project-specific engineering. It is free to use and does not sell products, which keeps the emphasis on guidance. Related official sources include NIST and GSA.

How can I access or contribute to WBDG's resources?

WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide) is a knowledge platform for building design, construction and facility management, hosted by the National Institute of Building Sciences at WBDG. Access to its resources is generally free and open: you can browse guidance by building type, project phase or discipline without an account.

Accessing resources

• Start from the homepage or use the site search to find topics such as design objectives, building types or federal criteria.
• Resource pages typically include overviews, related codes and standards, and links to further reading.
• Because content is written for practitioners, it may be most useful to architects, engineers, facility managers and students seeking technical background rather than quick consumer tips.

Contributing

WBDG accepts contributions from subject-matter experts and organizations. Typical routes include:

• Submitting articles, case studies or updates through the contact channels listed on the site.
• Joining a WBDG committee or collaborating on a specific building-type or resource section.
• Reporting outdated links or suggesting corrections.

The trade-off is editorial review: contributions are usually vetted before publication, so expect a longer process than posting to a blog, but with more credibility. For current submission requirements, check the site's own "About" or "Contribute" pages, since procedures may change.