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”

It all started with Johnnie

Tyres have been made from wood as well as leather,  iron and steel (wrapped around wooden wheels), and used on carts and wagons. The original spelling was ‘tire’, which comes from the French word tirer: to pull. Pneumatic tyres The first practical air-filled pneumatic tyre was made in 1888 by John Boyd Dunlop, a Scots-born vet, for his … Continue reading “It all started with Johnnie”

Beasties… but not timorous

beastie pronunciation: biːsti noun SCOTTISH humorous plural noun: beasties an insect or other small animal. Personally I do not like beasties (even though I hail from the place where the word “beasties” come from), especially the ones that wriggle eg maggots. I recently opened a food recycling container – apparently all the food waste is … Continue reading “Beasties… but not timorous”

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)”

Security Glazing: is it all that it’s cracked up to be?

The BRE Trust-funded research project ‘Security glazing: is it all that it’s cracked up to be?’ followed a spate of ‘smash-and-grab’ attacks to steal expensive goods such as jewellery and designer clothing from window displays. These attacks showed that in some cases glazing offers the least resistance to forced entry in situations where criminals are … Continue reading “Security Glazing: is it all that it’s cracked up to be?”

Alkali-activated binders for precast and ready-mixed concrete products

Alkali-activated (AA) binder technologies can utilise locally available clays, waste materials and industrial by-products in combination with a manufactured chemical activator. The production of AA binder technologies uses less energy and produces less carbon dioxide than conventional Portland cement (PC). Although low-carbon concretes made from AA binders share some materials in common with conventional PC-based … Continue reading “Alkali-activated binders for precast and ready-mixed concrete products”