Building Research Establishment

Coordinates: 51°42′00″N 0°22′25″W / 51.7001°N 0.3737°W / 51.7001; -0.3737 The Building Research Establishment Ltd (BRE) is a former UK government establishment, that was privatised in 1997. BRE provides research, advisory, training, testing, certification and standards for the construction and built environment sectors. BRE has its headquarters in Watford, with regional sites in Glasgow, Swansea, America and China.[1]

Among BRE's areas of interest are participation in the preparation of national and international standards and building codes, including the UK building regulations. The organisation is now funded by income from its commercial programmes, the BRE bookshop,[2] contracted work, and by bidding for research funding from government and the industries it serves. It also has UKAS Accredited Testing Laboratories.

Programmes

The BRE also owns and operates the BREEAM and EcoHomes environmental rating schemes, and promotes the German Passivhaus ultra-low energy building standard in the UK. It also runs a number of training courses.

BRE's sister company, BRE Global is an independent approvals body offering certification of fire, security, and sustainability products and services.

The BRE International Sustainability Alliance (ISA) is a membership organisation that welcomes property owners, occupiers, and investors who wish to come together to share best practice in the sustainable management of their property portfolios to improve financial performance.

Ownership

The Building Research Establishment is owned by the BRE Trust, a charitable organisation, which is the largest not-for-profit charity in the United Kingdom dedicated to research and education in the built environment.[3] Trustees are drawn from seven groups: built environment professionals, contractors, material and product suppliers, housing, university departments, building owners, building managers, and building users.

History

BRE was founded in 1921 as the Building Research Board[4] at East Acton as part of the British Civil Service, as an effort to improve the quality of housing in the United Kingdom.[5]

During the Second World War, it was involved in the confidential research and development of the bouncing bomb for use against the Möhne Dam in the famous Dambusters Raid of 1943[6] The small scale model of the dam used for testing can still be found at the Centre in Garston, Watford, today.

BRE was a founding member in 1976 of BSRIA, the Building Services Research and Information Association.

Having subsumed a number of other government organisations over the years, including the former Fire Research Station, and the Princes Risborough Laboratory, it was given executive agency status in 1990, before being privatised by the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions on 19 March 1997.[7]

From 1 January 2013, BRE took over the management of the UK and Ireland chapter of BuildingSMART.[8]

In August 2016, Constructing Excellence merged with BRE, with BRE undertaking to maintain the CE brands and functions.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Contacting BRE". www.BRE.co.uk. Building Research Establishment Ltd. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. ↑ "BREbookshop.com". www.BREbookshop.com. Building Research Establishment Ltd. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "BRE Trust". www.BRETrust.org.uk. Building Research Establishment Ltd. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "BRE Group: Our history". Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "les.man.ac.uk/IPA97/papers/boden35.html". Archived from the original on 2005-05-29.
  6. ↑ "www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/Education/Explore-online/Chocks-Away-The-Story-of-Local-Aviation". Archived from the original on 2008-11-20.
  7. ↑ "www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/changes/index.asp". Archived from the original on 2007-02-03.
  8. ↑ "BuildingSmart deal will hasten BIM adoption". Construction Manager. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Walker, Andy (16 August 2016). "Constructing Excellence to merge with BRE". Infrastructure Intelligence. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
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