The main entity for collective efforts in research in the School is the Building Research Council (BRC). For over 50 years, BRC (formerly known as the Small Homes Council) has conducted housing research and provided public service to residents, homeowners, builders, contractors, engineers, architects, and others in the housing industry. Today BRC continues to draw on the expertise of its own staff and a campus-wide network of experts to improve the state of our built environment.

Current research projects include studies on building performance, moisture control, toxicity issues in residential building materials, windstorm resistance, diversity issues in the architectural profession, and housing environments design and evaluation.

The research conducted at BRC is often translated back into the classroom. Professor Richard Strand’s work on the award-winning EnergyPlus software, now being used in architectural firms and classrooms across the country, is just one example of this reciprocity.