Two young architecture students have created a movement of construction professionals willing to offer their services to help rebuild Britain after the riots.

Practices such as HOK, Nightingales and Manchester-based Gibson Architects, as well as individuals including handymen, joiners and glaziers, have all pledged their support.

Lee Wilsher and Nick Varey harnessed the power of Twitter using the hashtag #riotrebuild and then set up a website where offers of pro bono help can be matched with requests from people whose property was damaged.

HOK is said to be interested in helping the family whose furniture store in Croydon was burnt to the ground, one of the highest-profile victims of the arsonists.

Other people who Wilsher and Varey’s volunteers may be able to help include an 89-year-old barber in Tottenham whose shop was damaged and Siva Kandiah whose convenience store in Hackney was so comprehensively looted even the light fittings were taken.

“People have gone through a lot of trauma and they need help,” said Varey, who is working for Andrew Catto Architects before starting his part II course this autumn.

“Insurance and the government’s fund could take a while to pay out whereas we can offer more immediate help.

“It’s really gathering momentum. We have had interest from glaziers, joiners, architects and even regular people offering to make cakes for the workers.”

They have been in touch with the man behind Riot Clean-up, a similar movement, also driven by Twitter, which was responsible for the high-profile sweep-up at Clapham Junction.

He put them on contact with people at the GLA who are advising them on which sites are still crime scenes or toxic.

“I want this site to be a place to start the rebuild, linking destruction with repair and reconstruction, linking problems with the people who can solve them,” wrote Wilsher on the website http://riot-rebuild.posterous.com