BRE Academy we are BRE


BRE has been raising the standards of the built environment since 1921, and in the last few years has grown significantly, through the achievements of our people and the acquisition of businesses with beliefs and goals aligned with our own.

BRE is a profit-for-purpose organisation. Any profits from BRE’s work go to the BRE Trust, which invests in research projects for the public benefit, or are invested in upgrading our research facilities at the BRE Science Park.

Influential but independent and with a heritage of scientific rigour for 100 years, we will play a key role over the next 100 years, as the world adapts to meet the challenges of climate change.

Our multi-disciplinary teams include leading experts – working in world-class facilities – in virtually every element of the built environment.

We operate internationally, with offices, representatives and partners around the globe, and at our Head Office and major facilities in the UK.

Our long heritage of putting progressive thinking into practice means that our customers and partners, wherever they are in the world, trust us to deliver.

Our history


BRE Group

 

The BRE Group has a history stretching back over 100 years, which has seen the bringing together of several research, testing, and certification organisations during that time.

In 1917, the then Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) proposed the creation of an organisation to investigate various building materials and methods of construction suitable to use in new housing following the First World War.

In June 1920, the Building Research Board met for the first time, and in 1921 a central, Government-funded laboratory – the Building Research Station (BRS) – was formed to carry out research work for the Board. Some of the earliest work of BRS studied the behaviour of reinforced concrete in floors, and the development of the British Standard for bricks – the UK’s first standard for construction materials. Originally based at Acton, west London, BRS moved to Bucknalls, a large Victorian house surrounded by 38 acres of land near Watford in 1925. BRE occupies that same site today, although the area has been extended over the years, with Bucknalls itself still at the centre.

During the Second World War, the staff of BRS were engaged in many novel areas of work, including creating a 1/50th scale model of the Mohne Dam that was used by Barnes Wallis in some of his early research leading to the development of the bouncing bomb.

In 1949, a remote office of the Building Research Station opened in Scotland, concentrating on the issues that differing building materials, techniques, and particularly climate had on construction north of the border.

BRE Academy

 
Dissemination of knowledge has been one of BRE’s key objectives since it was established over 100 years ago.

In the late 80s, the focus shifted towards the definition of sustainable development. In 1987 the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This awakening and need for buildings to take a holistic look at their own performance really helped to shape the research that created BREEAM training programmes in 1990 – the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for the sustainable built environment. The model was not just to create a rating scheme; it created new skills and approaches that meant thousands of BREEAM Assessors would be trained via the Academy in the years that followed.

 

These assessors continue to work with BREEAM around the world sharing their knowledge and expertise to create a global community of leaders, practitioners, and advocates of BREEAM and BRE.

In the early 2000s, BRE Training was launched to provide formal qualifications for energy assessors and a range of fire and security disciplines.

The BRE training has started to play a leading role in a sustainable future across various sectors, and as a result, our training provision was amalgamated in 2014 with the formation of the BRE Academy. Since then, BRE has run many training courses and upskilling events to help meet the myriad demands of the built environment around the world.

What is our goal?


The BRE Academy is your trusted partner to help you lead your organisation towards success and all courses are designed to help you and your organizations around the world embrace sustainable integrity. We deliver innovative and rigorous qualifications used around the world to make buildings better for people and for the environment.

If your goal is to improve asset performance at every stage from design through construction to use and refurbishment or to reduce risk and liability, then our goal is to make sure that you have the knowledge and skills to achieve the best results.

“The BRE Academy is a source of credible and relevant training for those that want to demonstrate higher levels of competence in the fields of Building Performance, BIM and Fire & Security. Organisations that want to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable outcome and achieve their ESG goals need to engage with the BRE Academy.”

Shamir Ghumra

How do we create our courses?


To develop the most relevant training, BRE Academy uses cutting-edge science and tutors with a wealth of practical experience from across industry sectors ensuring that training is up to date and in line with the latest standards.

 

Which sectors do we cover?


Construction

Fire Safety

Manufacturing

Public sector

Sistainable build environment

What qualifications can you expect to receive?


From beginners to advanced qualifications, bespoke training, flexible approach, and certifications; Many of our courses lead to formal qualifications and/or provide an entry into certification schemes.

 

How is our training delivered?


To meet the varying needs of our clients, training is delivered in the classroom where you meet our trainer in person, virtual classroom where you meet with your trainer and industry pierce over the camera or as an online self-study. We also deliver in-house training that can address corporate professional development needs.

Over the years we have trained thousands of professionals and supported university students and graduates with access to industry-relevant courses. Our online training provides an easy way for our overseas clients to access courses and helped many people to keep up to date on their CPD or upskill in new areas during the recent pandemic.

Our People

 

Train with the best to become the best. Our tutors are recognised as leaders in their field, offering a world-class learning experience. They are trained to understand and meet your different learning needs, and they have years of industry experience. What’s more, they train the client managers who assess your organisation to keep your learning in line with your company’s certification.

Meet out team