Clara Humphries is the Retrofit Project Manager at Retrofit West, a community interest company created by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in Bristol, an organisation originally established by members of the CAT team as an urban sister organisation.

Her work supports homeowners in transitioning their properties toward net zero carbon, while also helping to upskill local tradespeople.

“I believe retrofitting homes is a crucial aspect of addressing climate change within the built environment,” Clara explains. “It’s rewarding to apply technical knowledge to support communities and help demystify the retrofit process.”

With a background in Building Services Engineering and hands-on experience in sustainability consultancy and heritage building techniques, Clara came to CAT to study and deepen her critical thinking and integrate green building principles into real-world projects.

“CAT gave me the hope and motivation to tackle complex climate challenges,” she says. “Some of my most memorable days were spent sharing ideas in a beautiful and inspiring setting.”

Today, Clara applies her CAT knowledge daily, from energy efficiency reports to collaborative work with Bristol’s Mission Net Zero. She’s also building a hempcrete studio and planning a clay plastering workshop with a fellow CAT graduate, passing on the skills they gained.

Her research during her postgraduate study at CAT explored lime mortar compatibility with Cornish stone buildings, reflecting her commitment to practical, place-based solutions.

Clara’s story illustrates CAT’s wider impact, not only through its graduates but also through the ripple effect of organisations it has helped inspire, like CSE. Together, we are shaping a more sustainable built environment from the ground up.