by Brianna Crandall — August 10, 2015—A report detailing some of the U.K.’s latest built environment research, ranging from the effects of lighting on human health to reducing waste in infrastructure projects, is now freely available from the U.K.-based BRE Trust .
The latest annual BRE Trust Review summarizes recently completed projects funded through the BRE Trust’s research program in the areas of sustainability, fire, energy, health and materials. In addition, a wide range of recent publications presenting some of the latest research, knowledge and guidance on these issues is summarized.
The Review also reports on developments in the Trust’s two themed research programs on future cities and building resilience. Launched in April 2012 with over 70 public and private partners, the collective value of projects in the BRE Trust Future Cities research program is more than £30 million. The research involves 16 universities and 14 cities in the United Kingdom, the European Union and Brazil.
The Resilience of the Built Environment program began work more recently in April 2015. “Resilience of the built environment has been identified as one of the main priorities of governments around the world,” says BRE Group research director, Dr. Deborah Pullen. “They are responding to the increasing risks presented by extreme weather, natural and man-made disasters, terrorism and cyber-crime, a burgeoning global population and increased urbanization.”
The Trust will provide £1 million of funding for the two-year program of resilience research, to underpin an effective partnership linking BRE, government, academia and industry. Plans to attract other significant funding will create one of the largest single initiatives for improving the resilience of the U.K.’s built environment.
Finally, the Review includes an update on the built environment research and education activities at the five BRE Trust-supported University Centres of Excellence. There have been a total 170 PhD studentships, 100 staff and a portfolio of more than £60 million of research completed or underway since the launch of the Centres of Excellence in 2006. They are situated at four U.K. universities in Bath, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Strathclyde, and one in Brasilia.
The BRE Trust Review 2014 can be downloaded from the BRE Web site.
