The Heating and Ventilating Research Council was established in 1955 in the aftermath of the second world war to help the construction industry benefit from the latest research. It went on to become the Heating and Ventilating Research Association in 1959 and then in 1975, the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA).

Now generally referred to simply as BSRIA, it is a non-profit distributing, member-based association, with profits invested back into its research programmes. Its trading company, BSRIA Limited, was established in 2000. This is a wholly-owned subsidiary that undertakes all trading activities, including research and membership services.

BSRIA employs 180 people at their head office in Bracknell (UK), at regionally based construction compliance offices throughout the UK, and at offices in China, USA, Germany, France and Spain.

It now describes its mission as ‘to make buildings better...’ by enabling ‘…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.’

BSRIA undertakes activities that go beyond building services research and information:

• Design support.
• Construction compliance.
• Facilities management support.
• Testing.
• Instrument solutions.
• Market intelligence and management consultancy.

It offers corporate membership, with benefits including access to research and information, education and market research, as well as having member interests represented to the wider industry and government by the BSRIA council.

A list of articles contributed by BSRIA on Designing Buildings Wiki is available here.

A list of definitions contributed by BSRIA on Designing Buildings Wiki is available here.