Breathing Buildings has maintained close ties with the University of Cambridge since its formation as a spin-out in 2006.

The company was founded following the development of the E-Stack low-energy mixing ventilation system, which originated from a major research programme at the BP Institute, delivered through the Cambridge–MIT Institute and funded by BP plc. The technology was subsequently patented by the University of Cambridge, with Breathing Buildings holding exclusive rights to its application.

Since its inception, the company has continued to collaborate closely with the University of Cambridge, maintaining strong academic and research links that support ongoing innovation in ventilation technology.

Opened in May 2016, the James Dyson Building and Centre at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering is fully ventilated using Breathing Buildings systems. The project saw close collaboration with Nicholas Hare Architects and AECOM to develop a bespoke ventilation strategy designed to meet the building’s complex performance requirements