About
Expert, impartial research, knowledge and advice for the built environment sector and beyond.
BRE helps government, industry and business to meet the challenges of our built environment. Today's need to combat climate change, and the significant economic and social issues we now face, are no exceptions.
BRE is an independent and impartial, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, offering expertise in every aspect of the built environment and associated industries. We help clients create better, safer and more sustainable products, buildings, communities and businesses - and we support the innovation needed to achieve this.
As well as our Watford Headquarters, we operate from regional offices in Scotland and Wales, to provide services that include:
Consultancy - we help you to create safe and healthy, high quality, cost effective buildings, communities and businesses, while meeting legislative, client, social and environmental requirements at every stage of the project.
Research - our ability to generate new knowledge means that we can tackle today's challenges head on. We provide the information needed to underpin national building regulations, and to help you develop and use new and improved processes and products.
Testing - with an extraordinary range of cutting-edge facilities, we can test the performance of everything from individual products to whole buildings.
Innovation - our specialist knowledge of the built environment, combined with our research and development capabilities, can help you bring your new ideas to life.
Sustainability - we can help you to reduce environmental impacts of buildings, communities and businesses at all stages, from planning and design, through use and refurbishment, to end of life disposal.
Training and events - a very wide range of training courses, seminars and conferences are offered by our experts.
What does BRE stand for?
We were set up in 1921 as the Building Research Station (BRS). This became the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1972. Since being privatised in 1997, we have called ourselves simply ‘BRE’.