Olimpia Tinari, one of our architectural assistants and the newest member of our in-house Net Zero Carbon steering group, talks about her recent visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT): https://cat.org.uk

"CAT is an eco-centre located in mid-Wales and showcases lots of efficient, and cost-effective solutions to reduce carbon emissions in building. The building includes a really cool rammed earth auditorium and what I found particularly inspiring is that technologies necessary to achieve net-zero emission are readily available, that can be adopted in cost-effective ways, and incorporated in our homes. The centre provides 1:1 scale examples of the practicality of DIY solutions in renewable energy production, like a DIY solar water heater or the use of biodegradable materials in buildings, and methods to passively heat our homes.

CAT has a strong ethos to distribute this knowledge and information, to “inspire, inform, and enable”, through short courses and university degrees, as well as a free catalogue of resources available on their website. Especially useful is the Zero Carbon Toolkit, which provides advice on the latest design-approaches and good practice in the field of zero-carbon building.

It is really worth a trip and shows that even the smallest interventions can make a difference to carbon reduction.”