The 聽venerable product directory born out of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) National Building Specification (NBS) is now replaced by NBS Source, a cloud-based platform for construction product information.
Over its four-decade lifespan, RIBA Product Selector evolved from a physical printed directory of thousands of construction products, found on every architect鈥檚 shelf, to an online database.
The printed version remained in demand until recently, and as recently as 2010 there were 20,000 copies distributed. However, as specification increasingly became digital, specifiers turned to computer-based tools and cloud-based specification platforms such as NBS Chorus, which links to NBS Source.
NBS chief strategy officer Richard Waterhouse said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e always focused on making specification writing an easier, more accurate process. When RIBA Product Selector launched it was a game-changer and an essential reference book for architects. Construction product manufacturers soon found that if they weren鈥檛 listed they missed out.鈥�
He added: 鈥淲ith teams now working remotely, practices rely more and more on cloud-based tools, and while on one level it鈥檚 sad to say goodbye to RIBA Product Selector, there鈥檚 now an improved alternative with NBS Source. From print to floppy discs to desktop software and now cloud-based platforms, we鈥檝e always been at the forefront of specification guidance.鈥�
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