It has been shown that the wavelength-dependent performance of a directional coupler (DC) in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform can be greatly engineered by suitable design optimizations. Semianalytical coupled mode theory is used to optimize a nearly wavelength-independent design of a DC in an SOI substrate with a device layer thickness of 220 nm, operating in TE-polarization (λ ∼1550 nm). The transmission characteristics of fabricated DCs are found to be indeed wavelength independent over a bandwidth of 100nm (1525 nm ≤ λ ≤ 1625 nm), consistent with the theoretical predictions. The average excess loss of such directional couplers is evaluated as ∼0.8 dB and there are scopes for its further reduction. These DCs are then used further to demonstrate integrated optical building blocks like power splitters (2 × 2, 1 × 4), Mach-Zehnder interferometers (2 × 2), and all-pass microring resonators. Their performances are also found to be uniform within the wavelength range mentioned and, thus, making them suitable for integrated silicon photonics for broadband applications. © 2017 IEEE.