Breathing Buildings is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of innovation, growth and low-energy ventilation leadership.
Founded in 2006 as a spin-out from the University of Cambridge, the company has evolved from a research-led start-up into a leader in sustainable ventilation, delivering award-winning natural, hybrid and mechanical ventilation solutions across education, commercial and public sector buildings.
The company has delivered ventilation strategies for technically demanding projects across the UK, including the James Dyson Building and Engineering Centre at the University of Cambridge, the award-winning East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) headquarters, and major commercial schemes such as the Costa Coffee Eco Pod, and the Bloomberg European Headquarters in London.
As Breathing Buildings marks its 20-year milestone, the company continues to invest in both people and manufacturing capabilities to support future growth. It recently expanded its Dudley manufacturing facility, taking on a larger production unit to increase capacity in response to growing demand for low-carbon ventilation. This investment includes enhanced production line capacity, additional experienced staff, and the creation of a new showroom to support customers.
Huw Poppy has returned to the company as Business Operations Director, bringing more than 20 years of ventilation sector experience across low-energy ventilation design, project delivery and technical support. Rejoining alongside Huw is James Hammick, who returns as Specification Sales Manager, South East.
Breathing Buildings is also expanding its internal design team and external sales team to support growing demand and provide enhanced early-stage consultancy.
Central to the company’s success is its award-winning Natural Ventilation with Heat Recycling (NVHR) range, an adaptable solution offering hybrid ventilation, which uses both natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation in one system design. This is an ideal solution for commercial buildings with high heat gains, such as schools, colleges, leisure centres, offices, theatres, and even churches. Hybrid ventilation is highly efficient and harnesses free heat (and so energy) that has already built up within a space. By installing hybrid ventilation, commercial buildings can maximise health, comfort, and sustainability without having to invest in significant building works, making it ideal for retrofitting or change of use.
Breathing Buildings has also introduced its next-generation NVHRe range of Natural Ventilation with Heat Recycling and Heat Recovery, which incorporates a low-resistance heat exchanger cell within the unit. This allows the unit to benefit from both heat recycling and heat recovery, reclaiming even more heat than previous models, saving more energy, providing greater occupant comfort, and allowing users to include it within the building energy assessments (SBEM).
To complement its hybrid offering, the company has also expanded its portfolio with its MVHRe commercial heat recovery range, providing a high-efficiency Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system. www.breathingbuildings.com