Series: Hawkland and CAT

Hawkland’s origin as an ecological design and build company is profoundly intertwined with the Centre for Alternative Technology. Read on to learn more about David’s experiences at CAT and how they influenced who we are today.

What is CAT?

The Centre for Alternative Technology is an eco-centre in Wales dedicated to demonstrating and teaching sustainable development. CAT’s mission is to inspire, inform and enable humanity to respond to the climate and biodiversity emergency as an educational charity. The Centre is dedicated to researching and communicating positive solutions to climate change. CAT provides short courses in renewable energy, green building, sustainable growing and more, as well as postgraduate opportunities. Find out more on their website.

David Copeland - CEO

David completed an Architecture MSc in Advanced Environment and Energy Studies at CAT in 2012. After studying environmental science from the age of sixteen, David is now the CEO and head of Business Development at Hawkland. He describes his time at CAT as representative of a pivotal moment in his life, creating a synergy between two core focuses: building and the environment.

“It was the room of change makers who really stood out to me. So many people who were hell-bent on creating a positive change in the world.“

When asked why he was initially drawn towards CAT, he describes the Centre “as one of the first institutions which combined practical experience, knowledge and academic theory that he saw.” He was instantly fascinated by the electric mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences.

David’s time studying at the Centre kickstarted the development of his knowledge of sustainability in the built environment, crystallising the importance of change and how to achieve it. His experience meeting like-minded thinkers, doers and rebels re-enforced the need and drive behind what he wanted to achieve with Hawkland.

“On the personal side,” he says, “it exposed me to a world of people I would have never met otherwise, creating important memories that won’t easily be forgotten.”

David describes CAT as “fundamental” in influencing Hawkland. It was where he met Chris Hawker, who came away with similar visions of what needed to be done. While a lot has changed in the years since, David maintains that Hawkland’s founding principles remain the same as those originally founded at the Centre for Alternative Technology.

The Centre for Alternative Technology in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales

Learn more about the Centre for Alternative Technology and our purpose here.