Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), based at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, is an international non-profit organization supported by professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, development and construction, created to facilitate the exchange of information between professionals involved in all aspects of planning, design, construction and operation of high-rise buildings.
The mission of the Council, founded in 1969, is to disseminate interdisciplinary information about high-rise buildings and sustainable urban environments, to maximize the international interaction of professionals involved in the creation of the built environment and to provide information on the latest developments to professionals in an accessible form.
CTBUH disseminates acquired knowledge and promotes interaction between companies through:
- publication of books, monographs, reports and technical reference books;
- organization of world congresses, international, regional and special conferences and seminars;
- maintaining the global website The Skyscraper Center, which is a database of completed, under construction and planned high-rise buildings;
- distribution of a monthly international newsletter on high-rise buildings;
- maintaining an international training and methodological center;
- presentation of annual awards for achievements in design and construction, as well as for individual lifetime achievements;
- management of special working groups and committees;
- publications of the CTBUH Journal, a professional journal containing selected papers written by researchers, academics and practitioners.
The Council is active in research activities in various fields with members and partners, and maintains an international network of "Global Representatives" with CTBUH Regional Representatives promoting the mission of the Council around the world.
The Council is the arbiter in determining the criteria for measuring the height of buildings, according to which the title of "World's Tallest Building" is awarded. CTBUH is the leading international organization specializing in the field of high-rise buildings and urban living and is a recognized international source of information in these areas.
