A building services and engineering consultancy, founded in Birmingham in 1862 and now part of a US group while keeping its own name, with UK offices including Bristol and London.
Hoare Lea is an engineering consultancy best known for mechanical and electrical engineering, the heating, cooling, ventilation, power and lighting that make buildings work. It also has specialist teams in acoustics, fire engineering, lighting design, sustainability, security and vertical transport, such as lifts. Its projects include One New Change in London, the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford, Cabot Circus in Bristol, The Cube in Birmingham and Princesshay in Exeter. Wikipedia calls it the UK's largest consulting engineering firm specialising in this field.
The firm began in 1862 when Henry Lea opened a practice in Birmingham. He engineered the ventilation at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, described as the world's first fully air-conditioned building for human comfort, and supervised an early electric lighting installation at Birmingham Town Hall. After his death his son Fred took over, and in 1939 Donald Lea merged the practice with Edwin S. Hoare and Partners of Bristol. When it joined a larger US group in July 2021 the firm said it would lead the way "through increased complexity" while taking responsibility for shaping the built environment for the better, and that its values, brand and client approach would not change.
ACQUIRED: by Tetra Tech (2021). Hoare Lea still trades under its own name and describes itself as a stand-alone business within the group. Wikipedia gives Bristol as the headquarters, and a 2021 trade report put its UK offices at 12, with two in the Middle East, though that is a dated figure. Trade articles mention a move to King's Cross in London and a relocation of the Poole office, and job listings mention Bournemouth and Reading. We could not confirm the current UK office list.
In 2012 the firm marked 150 years with a reception for over 500 guests at Goldsmiths' Hall in London, where its managing partner Gary Tucker credited its success to client loyalty, colleagues and "commitment to excellence". Staff numbers have grown from over 600 in 2012 to over 900 around 2021, as reported at the time. The firm said in 2021 that its future depends partly on giving its people a workplace where they can thrive. These are the firm's own statements.
The roles here include mechanical, electrical, public health and fire engineers, lighting designers, acoustic consultants, sustainability specialists, and bid and design managers. It is a good fit if you are interested in how buildings use energy, or if you like physics and applying it to real spaces such as hospitals, offices and shopping centres.
Website: www.hoarelea.com
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