BSRIA (it takes its name from the initial letters of the Building Services Research and Information Association) is a UK-based testing, instrumentation, research and consultancy organisation, providing specialist services in

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

and

building services engineering Building services engineering (BSE), service engineering or facilities and services planning engineering is a Regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that strives to achieve a safe and comfortable Indoor air qu ...

. It is a not-for-profit, member-based association, with over 650 member companies; related services are delivered by a trading company, BSRIA Limited. Any profits made are invested in its research programme, producing best practice guidance. BSRIA is a full member of the Construction Industry Council.

Structure

BSRIA had a turnover of £11.8 million in 2010/11. It employs over 180 people at its UK head office in

Bracknell Bracknell () is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Built-up Area, Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the borough of Bracknell Forest. It lies to the east of Re ...

as well as regionally based engineers in the UK and offices in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. BSRIA's mission is

"to enable the building services and construction industries and their clients to enhance the value of the built environment, by improving the quality of their products and services, the efficiency of their provision and the effectiveness of their operation."

History of BSRIA

BSRIA was formed in 1955 as the Heating and Ventilating Research Council, later to become the Heating and Ventilating Research Association. As the industry became increasingly linked with other services so its research association and professional body saw the need to widen their remit. In 1975 the 'building services' scope was adopted, marked by the formation of the Building Services Research and Information Association, commonly shortened to BSRIA, and, in 1976, the formation of the Chartered Institution of Building Services, renamed the

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE; pronounced 'sib-see') is an international professional engineering association based in London, England that represents building services engineers. It is a full member of the C ...

(CIBSE) in 1985. As the Association's activities developed to meet the needs of an integrated construction industry and to provide more than just research and information, the full name became less relevant. When new government rules required it to split research and other activities into two companies, BSRIA started formal use of the abbreviation. Trading activities, including research, are now managed through a trading company, BSRIA Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Building Services Research and Information Association, which is a company limited by guarantee. Thus, members – largely companies active in designing and delivering building services – join the Building Services Research and Information Association, and services are provided by BSRIA Limited.

Timeline history

* 1955 (29 Dec) – The inaugural General Meeting of the Heating and Ventilating Research Council held at the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 member ...

. The Chairman (C.S.K. Benham) summed up the proceedings by " Thank you, Gentlemen. Now we exist " * 1956 – With almost 200 members, 3 research staff are appointed to work in rented premises at British Coal Utilisation Research Association,

Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon ...

* 1959 – The Heating and Ventilating Research Association (HVRA) was incorporated to take over the assets, liabilities and undertaking of the Heating and Ventilating Research Council, which was dissolved * 1964 – Laboratories double in size. * 1967 – Test Division established. * 1973 – Establishment of Member Services and Technical Division to reflect 'customer / contractor ' ethos. The 'Application Guide' is launched to reflect members interest in the application of research. * 1975 – 'Building Services Research and Information Association' name formally adopted. Instrument Hire service established with 120 hirings. First Statistics Bulletin published. * 1986–87 – "Research Clubs" established to match DoE funds for projects. BEMS (Building Energy Management Systems) Centre established as autonomous centre of expertise. Air Infiltration Centre renamed to Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre to reflect widening role. * 1989 – EuroCentre established to help industry take advantage of the single European market. * 1993 – Second site established at Crowthorne giving 50% more space. New radiator test room for testing to new European standard. * 2000 – The Association establishes a trading company – BSRIA Ltd – to undertake all the trading activities, including research. * 2003 – Acquisition of new offices adjacent to existing laboratories to accommodate staff relocated from

Crowthorne Crowthorne is a village, and civil parish, in the Bracknell Forest district of southeastern Berkshire, England. It had a population of 7,806 at the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. Crowthorne is the location of Wellington College, Be ...

. * 2006 – Offices set up in France, Spain and Germany. * 2008 – New subsidiary, BSRIA Construction Consulting (Beijing), established. Acquisition of market research business 'Proplan' to develop market intelligence in controls, fire protection and security. * 2011 – New subsidiary, BSRIA Cert established to provide independent certification of products and services.

Founding members

The following companies were the founding members of BSRIA who remain as members now (original company names updated to current): * BRE *

(CIBSE) * Comyn Ching & Co. (Solray) Ltd * Crown House Technologies Ltd * EMCOR Group (UK) Plc * Faber Maunsell (now

AECOM AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation; stylised A''Ξ''COM) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company's official name from 1990–2015 was AECOM Technology Corporation, ...

's UK subsidiary) * Flakt Woods Ltd * Gratte Brothers Ltd * Haden Young (part of

Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty plc () is an international infrastructure group based in the United Kingdom with capabilities in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments. A constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the company is active ac ...

) * Harry Taylor * Hoare Lea * Honeywell Control Systems Ltd * Inviron Ltd * Jacobs Babtie * Lennox Europe * C H Lindsey & Son *

London South Bank University London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough Po ...

* MJN Colston Ltd * Pearce Buckle (Design Engineers) Ltd * R W Gregory LLP * Roger Preston & Partners * Rosser & Russell Building Services Ltd * Skanska * TPS * WSP Group plc BSRIA now has over 600 corporate members.

References

External links

BSRIA

Modern Building Services – related website

Heating and Ventilating – related website

Video clips

Air tightness testing
{{DEFAULTSORT:BSRIA Bracknell Building engineering organizations Construction trade groups based in the United Kingdom Engineering research institutes Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning Organisations based in Berkshire Organizations established in 1955 Science and technology in Berkshire 1955 establishments in the United Kingdom