One firm. 160 years of legacy.
In 2021, we made an exciting new leap for the firm, joining Tetra Tech’s High Performance Buildings Group.
This global network of excellence brings together the expertise of talented engineers, commissioning agents, and energy analysts from around the world to solve the most important challenges of the 21st century.
The History of Hoare Lea
Hoare Lea is one of the longest established firms of MME consulting engineers in the world.
By joining the High Performance Buildings Group, we are even more equipped to build upon our strong and successful history of delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients, as part of a global practice that provides state-of-the-art net zero carbon design, digital engineering and building intelligence for the future of the built environment.
Our firm’s founder, Henry Lea, was an engineer of remarkable talent. His expertise spanned the civil, mechanical, and electrical disciplines and he was the first person to announce himself as a ‘Consulting Mechanical Engineer’ when he opened his office in Birmingham in 1862.
Henry was a pioneer of electrical lighting installations, efficient heating, and air conditioning systems, particularly in hospitals such as the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast – widely recognised as the first building in the world to be air conditioned for human comfort.
Henry Lea died in 1912, and in 1939 his grandson Donald Lea amalgamated the practice with that of Edwin S. Hoare and Partners of Bristol to form Hoare, Lea and Partners. With a unique heritage spanning more than 160 years, we are proud to maintain Henry Lea’s commitment to excellence.
