BRE Trust
How a BRE office became the centre piece for major biophilic design research
A chance encounter in a traffic jam has led to a major scientific investigation on the wellbeing effects of biophilic design History tells us that people have always been influenced and attracted by nature. For example, tomb paintings from ancient Egypt, as well as remains found in the ruins of Pompeii, demonstrate that people brought … Continue reading “How a BRE office became the centre piece for major biophilic design research”
Tim Wiseman completes charity cycle ride with Article25
Tim Wiseman, BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment Scheme Manager, completes his journey cycling 500 miles around Myanmar undertaking healthcare building research and raising money for Article25!
Update from Myanmar – Article25 Charity Cycle
Tim Wiseman, BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment Scheme Manager, updates us on the progress of his 500 mile charity cycle ride around Myanmar! With support from the BRE Trust, Tim is cycling to raise money for Article25 whilst conducting research into healthcare buildings in the Southeast Asian country. Friday 10th November – Popping up mount Popa We left … Continue reading “Update from Myanmar – Article25 Charity Cycle”
Update from Myanmar – Article25 Charity Cycle
The next update from my 500 mile cycle ride around Myanmar, undertaking building research and raising money for Article25! Day 3 – heading up north to the countryside We took the 15 hour overnight sleeper train from Yangon to Mandalay. It was certainly an interesting experience. Just like a normal sleeper train, but a lot slower, … Continue reading “Update from Myanmar – Article25 Charity Cycle”
World first biophilic design research project connects buildings with nature
A live office refurbishment will provide environmental and human data as evidence for positive health and wellbeing impacts on office occupants BRE has launched The Biophilic Office project – a ground-breaking office refurbishment project that will provide quantified evidence on the benefits of biophilic design on health, well-being and productivity of office occupants. The project … Continue reading “World first biophilic design research project connects buildings with nature”
Buildings as materials banks – Enabling a circular way of building
The circular economy aims to change the linear process in which materials are made, used and then disposed. Rather than throwing away, when a material comes to the end of its service it can be reused or regenerated into new products. The material is viewed as a resource rather than waste. BRE is a key … Continue reading “Buildings as materials banks – Enabling a circular way of building”
Building flood resilience into the fabric of Britain
Our climate is changing. We are seeing more extreme weather events which could lead to increases in heavy rainfall and significantly increased risks from river and surface water flooding. A growing population means more houses, which means more people will be at risk. Over 5 million households and businesses in England – that’s 1 in … Continue reading “Building flood resilience into the fabric of Britain”
Heat metering
Heating accounts for nearly half of final energy consumption in the UK (48% in 2013) and 78% of non-transport energy use (DECC, 2013). Heat is a utility, like water, gas, and electricity. Communal or district heating systems are becoming more common and these involve the centralised generation of heat and the distribution of this heat … Continue reading “Heat metering”
5 questions about Phase Change Materials (including one about cocktails)
BRE Global technical author Corinne Williams answers 5 questions about her new publication Assessing the performance of Phase Change Materials in buildings. Question 1: Did you have to test several cocktails during the writing of this publication? No! The ice cube example is a simple way to explain how PCMs work. Ice is a commonly used … Continue reading “5 questions about Phase Change Materials (including one about cocktails)”