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Category: Graduate School

Students take their first steps towards a green career
Last month, we welcomed our latest cohort of postgraduate students to CAT as they embarked upon a transformative educational journey delving into sustainability and solutions.

A unique approach to learning

CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment courses offer a big-picture integrated approach to sustainability, providing our students with the knowledge, practical skills and inspiration to take action on the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Our courses mix academic learning with practical workshops from academics who are experts in their fields and cover a wide range of sustainability-related topics, enabling CAT students to go on to make a real difference in a variety of career pathways, from researching solutions, advising on climate policy, sustainable architecture, and beyond.

During our taught modules, students join us for a week-long intensive teaching week, before continuing their coursework from home, with a distance learning option available for our MSc and MRes courses. This approach helps provide our students with the flexibility to fit their studies around work, their families and other commitments.

Sustainability in action

One of the results of having intensive teaching weeks is that there is always a special buzz around CAT when students are on-site, and this year’s first lot of teaching week, for both our MSc, MRes and M.Arch students, was especially electric.

For those students able to join on-site, they are not only treated to incredible views. They can also benefit from CAT’s more than 50 years of sustainability experience that has transformed the CAT site from a disused slate quarry into a living laboratory, showcasing sustainability in action, including:
- Experimental sustainably designed buildings – including rammed earth and straw bale buildings.
- Organically managed gardens that provide a useful teaching space and supply fresh fruit and vegetables to the CAT Cafe.
- Sustainably managed woodlands providing both timber and rich habitats for a diverse range of wildlife, including bats, foxes, badgers, dormice, pine martens and more.
MSc and MRes courses

Our MSc courses and our MRes Sustainability and Adaptation all begin with a shared module, Introduction to Sustainability and Adaptation.

By bringing together students from all our MSc and MRes courses, from Sustainability and Behaviour Change, to Green Building, the first week sees a real cross-fertilisation of ideas, as students with different skillsets and backgrounds discuss what they have been learning.

Over the teaching week, students were introduced to sustainability and transformational adaptation concepts and theories ranging from systems thinking, behaviour change and climate policy to ecosystems, to land use and the built environment.

Highlights of the week included:
- A workshop assessing the durability of timber buildings on-site at CAT.
- An activity assessing the negative impacts of invasive plants such as Rhododendron ponticum on native flora and fauna.
- A walk in the hills above CAT to collect and analyse wind data.
- An activity assessing the negative impacts of invasive plants such as Rhododendron ponticum on native flora and fauna.
- Guest lecturer Susan Steed gave a talk on transformation and economics.
- A workshop exploring food systems from production, processing, distribution and consumption.
- A film screening of Plan Z – with some of the filmmakers joining us online for a Q&A.
- CAT graduates returned for a panel where they shared their experiences of studying with us, along with some of the incredible things they are doing now. One graduate who returned was Ruth Chapman, now Executive Managing Director of Dulas Limited, a company that originally started at CAT, which works on renewable energy and life-saving vaccine solar fridges.
- Meeting and talking to our new students and making new connections!
M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture (ARB Part 2)

A course with sustainability at its core, alongside academic learning, our M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture course provides students with the chance to develop practical building skills, gain experience using a range of sustainable building materials, and learn from our five decades of experimenting with sustainable design.

If you ever visit CAT during an architecture teaching week, you are sure to see a host of students doing something interesting, and the first week for our 2025 cohort was no exception. Students could be seen across the site sketching, touring the many examples of innovative and experimental sustainable buildings at CAT, or in various spots discussing their lectures and other practical workshops.

Highlights during the week have included:
- A site visit to Bangor, North Wales, where students familiarised themselves with the location ahead of their community engagement project, which will take place in the city.
- A tour of CAT’s green buildings.
- Sketching workshops with architect Chris Loyn surveying CAT’s natural environment and sustainable buildings.
- A ‘Banquet of Books’ workshop, where lecturer and architect Zoe Quick explored reading as a form of commoning, and the sociality, materiality, and political ecologies of ‘reading for resilience.’
- Lectures exploring sustainability in the built environment from CAT staff, including a lecture from our Zero Carbon Britain Innovation Lab team.
Interested in studying at CAT?

Visit us either in person or online for one of our upcoming postgraduate Open Days. Our Open Days will give you the chance to hear from CAT staff, students and graduates about what it’s actually like to study at CAT, with plenty of chances for questions.

Join a CAT teaching week as a Short Course

We’ve opened up a few spaces on some of our upcoming teaching weeks, which is great if you want to delve into a specific sustainability-related topic or get a real taste of what it’s like to study a postgraduate course at CAT.
Visit our short course page to see more upcoming courses.
October 3, 2025
Farming in crisis: PhD research project explores solutions
PhD researcher Bethan John is inviting farmers across West Wales to take part in a community-led research project that tackles the complex challenges facing rural communities today — from economic uncertainty and food security to climate change.

Through creative storytelling and filmmaking workshops, Bethan aims to bring farmers and environmentalists together to share lived experiences and co-create solutions that reflect the realities of farming in a time of overlapping crises.

In running the workshops, Bethan’s aim is to create space and time to explore a diversity of views and experiences, building on common ground and collective problem-solving.

The outcome of the project will be the co-creation of a community-made film or series of films, which capture the voices and vision of farmers and environmentalists, in all the complexity, nuance and richness of real-life experiences.

A Collaborative Approach to Rural Resilience

The research project, which aims to explore the issues that are impacting rural communities in West Wales, is a partnership between CAT’s Graduate School, Aberystwyth University and Cardiff University, and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The project will be using co-production and creative methods to gain insights into the issues that are most relevant to the participants, with the aim of creating policy impact.

The collaborative element of this project will start this autumn, when Bethan will be running a series of storytelling and filmmaking workshops with farmers in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Storytelling and Filmmaking: Tools for Change

There’s a wealth of academic research that demonstrates the importance of storytelling and creative expression, as a way of reflecting on and engaging with complex issues that can help solve real-world problems.

CAT Senior Lecturer and project supervisor, Dr Cathy Cole says “collective storytelling can act as a bridge to enable cooperative solutions to emerge. This may be particularly important in the context of farming, where media narratives are often divisive. Participants in this study care deeply about the land, and this is powerful common ground.”

The storytelling and filmmaking workshops will be made up of a small group and they will be facilitated in Welsh and English. The group will be guided through a variety of activities that will generate ideas and discussions, while being trained in storytelling and filmmaking skills. No prior experience is needed, as participants will receive full training during the workshops.

The first set of workshops are:
- Bancyfelin Village Hall, Wednesday 1^st October 2025, 5.30-8.30pm
- Crymych Market Hall, Thursday 2^nd October 2025, 5.30-8.30pm
The benefits of joining the workshops include:
- Free training in filmmaking so that you can tell your story
- A chance to meet other farmers to discuss ideas
- Space and time to share your views, knowledge and experiences on issues that are important to you
Bethan is looking for people from farming backgrounds to get involved in the workshops and is collecting interest via this short online form.

Rooted in Rural Wales

Having grown up in a rural farming community near Carmarthen, Bethan now lives in North Pembrokeshire. She’s spent her career capturing the stories of communities and the complex social, cultural, economic and political issues that they face, while trying to navigate and adapt to the ecological and climate crisis. She is interested in how community-based knowledge and grassroots action can drive change.

“There is a wealth of expertise within the rural communities where I live. One of the aims of this project is to capture and value this knowledge, while exploring a diversity of views and lived experiences to see if solutions emerge”, Bethan explains.

So far, she has completed a series of interviews with farmers and environmentalists to explore opportunities, challenges and tensions, especially in relation to the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).

The interviews gave participants the opportunity to share their views on the issues anonymously and in a private one-to-one setting. The themes that emerged from the interviews inform the development of the workshops’ group work and are a part of the project’s multi-method approach, with the purpose of undertaking triangulation to strength validity claims and to overcome weaknesses with relying on one method.

If you would like to participate in the project but are unable to make the workshops, get in touch with Bethan (email bsj3@aber.ac.uk or phone 07495999579) to discuss other options that would suit you.

Find out more about CAT’s Graduate School

CAT’s Graduate School is one of the foremost providers of postgraduate education in sustainability and offers a number of Masters level courses which allow students to gain knowledge, inspiration and networks to make a real difference.

Find out more about postgraduate study at CAT by joining an upcoming open day or get in touch with our Admissions Team email study@cat.org.uk or phone 01654 705974
September 22, 2025
Transforming community energy decision making

To move from fossil fuel use to local renewables, communities need the right knowledge, skills and tools. CAT graduate Anna Hartley introduces CELESTE, a new system that enables anyone to explore the potential for renewable energy projects in their local area.

It is widely acknowledged that to meet global net-zero carbon goals and mitigate the worst effects of climate change, fossil fuels must be replaced as much as possible by renewable energy. While we hear a lot about large-scale multi-million dollar solar and wind farms owned and managed by corporations and states, small-scale renewable energy communities (RECs), in which citizens come together to produce, exchange and use renewable energy, have also been identified as a key component in this transition.

No two RECs are exactly the same, but the EU describes them as legal entities that combine both non-commercial economic aims with environmental and social community aims. They share open and voluntary governance, shared ownership and control by members (who are also consumers), and have as a main purpose creating social and environmental benefits instead of financial profits.

Sounds fantastic, right? Yet in France, where I live, RECs are little known and poorly understood. What if there was a programme that could fast-track the development of RECs while also raising awareness about energy systems more broadly? That’s the question I investigated during the dissertation period of my MSc Sustainability in Energy Provision and Demand Management at CAT.

Bridging the knowledge gap

Assessing a site for its suitability for a renewable energy project is not overly complex, but it does require some specialised knowledge. If we want thousands of small communities all over the world to start building them, it seems evident that there should be more tools available that can provide this.

I felt sure that by pulling together a range of freely available online datasets I could produce a program designed for non-expert users that would do simplified feasibility assessments for RECs. This should only require the users’ geographic location and their willingness to engage in some energy futuring to operate.

Harnessing digital tools

As the research progressed, my conviction that a tool like this was necessary and useful grew. Almost all the research and discussion around RECs focuses on their technical, economic and policy dimensions, with little attention paid to involving the broader public, who are the very people responsible for creating and running RECs.

Secondly, digital tools concerning renewable energy development are overwhelmingly aimed at expert users, very limited in scope, and often expensive to access.

By the completion of my dissertation period, I had created a prototype program known as the CELESTE Decision Support System. CELESTE stands for Créons des Énergies Locales, Écologiques, Solidaires et Transformatrices Ensemble (Creating Local, Ecological, Supportive and Transformative Energy Together).

CELESTE functions as an educational tool that uses the wealth of publicly available data, repackaging it in a useful way, rather than developing new complex systems. It is also modular and expandable, meaning that what is currently available is just the beginning and there is no limit to the number and type of modules that could be added.

Whether the user takes action after using CELESTE is up to them, but I hope they will at least feel more informed and engaged in the conversation around renewable energy. In this way, CELESTE is just as important as an engagement and educational tool as a systems modelling tool.

How does CELESTE work?

CELESTE has a simple interface and is designed to walk the user through four key stages, much like a carbon footprint calculator.

1. Start here: The user enters the name of their commune in France to view data such as the commune’s population, total energy consumption for the most recent year available (in this case, 2021), and the portion of that consumption that corresponds to the residential sector.

2. Adjust variables: Here, the user begins imagining their energy future, toggling different variables to see how these impact upon the commune’s electricity demand, such as the year (up to 2060), population predictions, climate change scenarios, and consumption patterns like electric vehicles and air conditioner usage. A bar chart clearly shows the actual electricity demand against the future demand as per what the user has inputted.

3. What’s possible?: At this stage, the user gets to start designing a new energy system. They are presented with a basic feasibility assessment for a solar PV or onshore wind farm in their commune. The user can toggle the size of the installation and see how this impacts physical size, what percentage of the commune’s electricity need this would meet, costing and payback time, and CO2 emissions reduction.

4. Next steps: Finally, the user is shown recommendations about ways to reduce their energy consumption, local and national organisations that support RECs, EC consultants who can begin advising them on their REC journey, and a list of RECs already functioning in their geographic area that they can visit and investigate.

What’s next?

CELESTE is still a prototype, built in Google Sheets and using predownloaded datasets for a limited number of communes. Many of the calculations applied to the data are quite rough, using rule-of-thumb estimates when trusted, peer-review data is missing. However, as better information becomes available, it can easily be integrated, improving the quality of the outputs.

Who can use CELESTE?

I have registered CELESTE under a Creative Commons licence so that it can be shared, adapted, and remixed by any non-commercial entity that wants to take it further.

While CELESTE is only currently crunching data for France, there is no reason why it can’t be adapted to anywhere in the world. Countries could substitute communes with their own administrative divisions, plug in their local electrical and population datasets, and adjust calculations – for example about typical electrical demand of an electric vehicle per annum, and the cost of renewable technologies – according to the most up-to-date information for their area.

No two countries will have the exact same kind of data, so it is exciting to consider the range of additional modules that could be designed and incorporated into CELESTE. Hydroelectricity potential, battery storage and grid flexibility, thermo-sensibility metrics, and access to local grants and subsidies are just a handful of the modules that could be added, given access to the right data and with the right minds on the job.

Furthermore, CELESTE could be used by existing RECs to see how their installations would perform under different climate, temporal and behavioural conditions, or by schools and institutions as an educational tool to improve understanding of the topic.

Explore CELESTE

About the author

Anna Hartley is an Australian writer who has lived in Paris and Beijing since 2011. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, France 24, Forbes Travel Guide, The Houston Chronicle, The New Zealand Herald, The Vancouver Sun, the Beijinger, and Babbel Magazine. She graduated from CAT’s Sustainability in Energy Provision and Demand Management in 2024.

CAT student dissertations

During their final year of study on a Masters in Sustainability at CAT, students explore a relevant topic in-depth by completing a final dissertation. This involves designing, investigating, and presenting an extended and independently conceived piece of research within their field of study. Equally important, the dissertation enables students to showcase the skills in critical thinking, data collection and analysis that they have developed throughout their degree.

The dissertation builds upon the current state of knowledge and some dissertations go on to be published in scientific journals or become the basis of further research. Students have also used the dissertation to explore the viability of a business idea or product that has a positive impact.

Find out more about studying at CAT →

August 18, 2025
CAT Conversations with Andy Baylis

Andy Baylis is a graduate of CAT’s MSc Green Building course, founding director of Jengo Sustainable Design, and a recently appointed CAT trustee.

We are thrilled to chat to him about his company’s pioneering sustainable construction practices and how postgraduate study at CAT influenced his approach to sustainable design.

Q: Lovely to chat with you Andy. Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to pursue a career in sustainable design and engineering?

I am a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer, and I’ve worked in construction for nearly 30 years mostly in mainstream engineering consultancy firms in senior project delivery roles, people management and business development. I’ve had a passion for sustainability for decades but, apart from my self-build straw bale, had not managed to convince my employers to work in a sustainable fashion, so I decided to pursue the MSc in Green Building to delve into a new career in sustainable design and engineering.

Q: How has your MSc in Green Building from CAT influenced your approach to sustainable design?

Although I was an experienced Structural Engineer what I learnt at CAT transformed my confidence in delivering low impact design projects. Postgraduate study allowed me to apply my knowledge of climate and environmental impacts on the built environment to my new consultancy.

It was an amazing experience studying on-site at CAT during the teaching weeks, meeting wonderful fellow students and learning from inspirational and knowledgeable staff. It was a liberating change from working in a highly stressful mainstream construction profession.

Q: Can you describe some of the key projects Jengo has undertaken, and the sustainable materials and methods used?

Over the last four years I have progressed from standard residential construction to a majority of design in timber frame and retrofit projects. Key projects include the new Passivhaus home for fellow CAT graduate Janna Lann Lomas alongside several other Passivhaus timber frame buildings and I undertake the majority of timber frame design work for Broadaxe Timber Frames. Another increasing part of my work is with historic stone buildings in retrofit and conversion projects.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in promoting sustainable construction practices?

Some architects, clients and contractors are not interested in non-conventional materials and ignore or resist alternative lower carbon solutions. I increasingly now refuse to take on projects that I deem are wasteful or highly impactful. However, there is a gradual improvement in knowledge through the work of organisations such as the IStructE and ACAN and I believe that CAT MSc courses would certainly be transformational for many designers and consultants.

Q: How do you see the construction industry evolving to meet the challenges of climate change, biodiversity, and pollution?

Although the solutions exist there are huge barriers to change as described in my dissertation on Sustainable Design of Foundations and Ground Floors. These range from skills, supply chains, procurement issues, code and regulation compliance, insurance, lack of a circular approach and a general lack of motivation and unwillingness to change or manage risks differently. To rise to these challenges, I’m hoping to continue to deliver less impactful building solutions, teach more within the industry and make an impact as a CAT trustee.

Q: You recently rejoined us as a CAT trustee; how do you envision your role at CAT contributing to a more sustainable future?

I now get to work with likeminded designers and clients on progressive low carbon projects, and I hope that my knowledge of design and development can assist CAT’s forthcoming development, retrofit plans and the Graduate School of the Environment on a strategic level.

Q: And lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring engineers and designers who want to focus on sustainability?

Studying at CAT was a liberating and inspirational experience that has led to a transformation in my career and lifestyle. Do an MSc in Green Building at CAT!

Study at CAT

Inspired by Andy’s story? Find out more about our Masters in Green Building or other courses on one of our next Graduate School open days or get in touch with our Admissions Team study@cat.org.uk 01654 705974.

August 5, 2025
CAT at the Triumph of Art

As part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebrations, The Triumph of Art – a nationwide project by artist Jeremy Deller – brought together institutions from across the UK to celebrate the role of art, culture, and civic life in shaping our communities. The Centre for Alternative Technology was proud to be a collaborator and exhibiting partner in this extraordinary event.

In Trafalgar Square, CAT’s presence was marked by a powerful architectural installation and a series of hands-on workshops, all rooted in sustainability, creativity, and community. The event offered a unique opportunity to showcase CAT’s ethos and the work of its students on a national stage.

“CAT were delighted to collaborate with Jeremy Deller on the Triumph of Art commission for the bicentenary of the National Gallery over the last year culminating in the day-long spectacular in Trafalgar Square.  It was inspiring to see the CAT students’ pavilion “Gorsedd”, bringing a palette of earth and Welsh slate from Llwyngwern Quarry to the city and to see the many hours of craft by the students and volunteers weaving willow come to fruition.  We also enjoyed facilitating charcoal drawing and earth building workshops and having the opportunity to talk with members of the public about CAT’s vital work providing skills for the future.” - Eileen Kinsman, Co-CEO of CAT

CAT Supporters Gathering

The day began with a morning gathering for some of CAT’s most longstanding supporters, offering a chance to connect, share updates on CAT’s work, and celebrate the occasion together. After a summary of the ‘Gorsedd’ build by students Jordan Hau and Brandon Roberts, guests were then escorted to the CAT exhibit in Trafalgar Square to explore the student build and workshops firsthand.

This special event was a moment to thank CAT’s supporters and showcase the impact of their contributions in enabling transformative educational experiences and public engagement.

“It was wonderful to see the variety of activities and people of all ages just having fun but learning at the same time from CAT’s activities. It was a highly entertaining, enriching and lively encounter with each and all CAT staff on the ground too. So encouraging to see so many young enthusiastic people too.” – CAT supporter

Procession

CAT students joined other collaborators in the Triumph of Art event for the Bacchanalian procession through Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, carrying the banner created for CAT by banner maker Ed Hall.

Sharing Skills and Inspiring Futures

Alongside the Gorsedd installation, CAT’s students and teaching staff hosted a workshop showcasing Rammed Earth as a sustainable building material and CAT’s education team facilitated a creative drawing space to imagine a sustainable future.

CAT’s education work is so impactful because we believe in the importance of seeing, developing and using practical solutions first hand. Inspiring people through hands-on work with materials or through imagining what a green future might look like is a key part of CAT’s group visits, volunteering and training.

Alongside our workshops, we were able to talk to attendees about CAT and our work sharing solutions to the climate crisis. It was a pleasure to talk with so many interested and enthusiastic people, many of whom were already aware of CAT or had visited in the past.

Rammed Earth Plinths

Inspired by the plinths of Trafalgar Square, visitors were invited to create miniature versions using rammed earth—a traditional and sustainable building technique used extensively at CAT. The activity was supported by Rescued Clay who are based in Park Royal in London, and supplied the clay used on the day.

“It was wonderful to be invited to be part of the day and supply CAT with clay for the rammed earth workshops. The clay was reclaimed from local construction sites, demonstrating how waste materials can be reimagined and reused “
Prashant Patel— Rescued Clay

Charcoal Visioning Workshop

Participants also took part in a visioning workshop, using charcoal made from willow offcuts from the Gorsedd build. The activity encouraged people of all ages to draw their visions of a positive future—one where humanity has risen to the challenges of the climate and biodiversity crises.

Simple drawing prompts and visual guides to the charcoal-making process helped make the activity accessible to all.

Gorsedd

At the heart of CAT’s contribution was  Gorsedd—a striking architectural installation designed and built by students from CAT’s ARB-accredited Part II Master’s in Sustainable Architecture. Developed during their Build module, in collaboration with Jeremy Deller, Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno, and the National Gallery.

“This has been an exciting, challenging and inspiring project to be a part of. The opportunity to get hands-on in such a supportive environment is exactly what I wanted from my Master’s at CAT.”
— Hannah Maxey, CAT student

Gorsedd (meaning “throne” in Welsh) draws on Celtic mythology, Druidic rituals, and the National Gallery’s wartime history. Constructed using Welsh timber, Somerset willow, slate from CAT’s Llwyngwern Quarry, and reclaimed plywood from ReCollective, the structure is a celebration of natural materials and collective effort. Students were supported by tutors, CAT graduates, and collaborators, including Momentum Engineering.

“We have been providing engineering support to the design of structures created during Build week for over 20 years and the Triumph of Art is one of the largest projects undertaken.”
— Richard Heath, Momentum Engineering

The build itself was a performative act, echoing traditional barn-raising techniques. The frame was raised entirely by hand in a choreographed display of teamwork and simplicity.

The Gorsedd structure and the workshops in Trafalgar Square were more than a one-day event—they were a celebration of what’s possible when we build together. The students behind the project have since formed  Studio CLAASH, a design and build collective that will carry this momentum forward.

Plans are already underway to bring Gorsedd back to CAT for an event, continuing to share a message of sustainable, community-driven change.

Visit CAT at Welsh events this summer

This summer, we will also be attending other festivals and events in Wales, sharing our work and connecting with attendees.

Come visit us 2 to 9 August at WCVA’s Voluntary Sector Hub at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham or if you attending Green Man Festival 15 to 18 August come say hello to us in Einstein’s Garden

August 1, 2025
CAT Graduates Celebrate Their 2025 Graduation
On Saturday 19 July, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) welcomed graduates, friends, families, and staff to a joyful celebration of achievement, community, and hope for the future.

The 2025 Graduation Ceremony marked a significant milestone for over 220 students who completed postgraduate degrees in sustainability at CAT’s Graduate School. Set against the stunning backdrop of CAT’s eco-centre in mid-Wales, the event was filled with sunshine, smiles, and stories of transformation.

A Celebration of Changemakers

CAT graduates from across the UK and beyond came together to celebrate their achievements in fields such as sustainability and adaptation, renewable energy, sustainable architecture, food, and ecology. Many of this year’s graduates have already begun applying their learning in impactful ways — from launching green businesses to influencing policy and leading community projects.

Chair of CAT’s Board of Trustees, Ben Summers, began the ceremony by highlighting some of these stories.

“While each of you has taken your own path to get here, shaped by different places, professions, passions, and experiences, today, you stand together as part of something bigger: the CAT community.

What makes CAT graduates special is what happens after your studies and research here. The real impact of our work is carried forward by you — in the projects you lead, the communities you support, and the systems you help transform.”

Ben Summers – Chair of Trustees talks at our Graduation ceremony

Some of the students graduating on Saturday include:
- Justina Raggett, who recently presented her dissertation at the Culinary Institute of America, is now working to scale sustainable, healthy menus in university catering.
- Fran Graham, who is an Outreach Manager at the Woodland Trust, uses the knowledge from her MSc to implement social change, communicate politics, and focus on group work and facilitation.
- Liam Rickard, whose music many students have enjoyed at CAT during the on-site study weeks, now uses his performances and platforms to share climate solutions in multiple languages.
- Rocey Belandria’s role as Climate Change and Natural Environment Officer at Cherwell District Council sees her working towards supporting the enhancement of nature from a strategic point of view through on-site initiatives to protect, defend and enhance the natural environment.
- Peter O’Toole is a founder member of the Milton Keynes Climate Action Network, working on engagement between the community and the council on local climate change issues, sustainability, environment, and equality, whilst also working on a sustainable practices project in Kenya with a Maasai community.
- And here at CAT, Rachel Tuckett studied while working at UK government in green policy and now leads CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain Innovation Labs.
Two of our graduates have also recently joined CAT’s Board of Trustees:
- Megan McGrattan is pioneering research into low-cost, scalable housing using 3D printing and traditional cob materials.
- And Andy Baylis is applying knowledge from CAT’s Green Building course to reduce the environmental impact of construction through his company Jenga Design and is supporting strategically with CAT’s redevelopment projects.
Their stories are a powerful reminder of the role the skills and knowledge students gain on our postgraduate courses play in equipping people to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.

Rachel Tuckett graduating

Inspiring Words from Judy Ling Wong

This year’s guest speaker was the inspirational Judy Ling Wong, Honorary President of the Black Environment Network and a lifelong advocate for environmental justice and inclusion. Her address was both moving and motivating, empowering graduates to think about how they can create a better future together and the importance of climate justice in shaping this.

“Sustainability depends on the relationship of people to nature, and the relationship of people to each other – people are the ultimate force for change; through the coming together of thinking, feeling and action.

Social Justice, Environmental Justice and Racial Justice come together to make up Climate Justice and governments, organisations, community groups, and individuals can work together across different sectors and at different levels using knowledge, skills and passion to shape our future.”

Judy Ling Wong, Honorary President of the Black Environment Network

Her presentation and address also encouraged our graduates to carry forward their passion and purpose, and to continue building a more just and sustainable world.

A Day to Remember

The ceremony also included speeches from CAT staff, the presentation of certificates, and plenty of time for celebration and connection. Graduates and their guests enjoyed a delicious plant-based meal, live music, and the chance to explore CAT’s beautiful site — a living example of sustainable solutions in action.

During the ceremony, we also celebrated longstanding Graduate School lecturer Dr Frances Hill, who retired in April after 15 years supporting CAT students with their studies.

Dr Frances Hill recieving flowers

Looking Ahead

As the Class of 2025 steps into the next chapter of their journeys, we are filled with pride and hope. Their dedication, creativity, and commitment to positive action and change are exactly what the world needs right now.

Congratulations to all our graduates — we can’t wait to see what you do next!

Inspired to find out more about studying at Graduate School course at CAT?

There is still time to apply for our September 2025 entry. Get in touch or sign up to view a recording of our latest virtual open day.

Photos from the Graduation Ceremony by Celfach photography
July 30, 2025
From CAT to Trafalgar Square: Students Unveil ‘Gorsedd’

As part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebration, Triumph of Art, students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment brought a powerful new structure to life in the heart of London.

Gorsedd—meaning “throne” in Welsh—is a striking architectural installation designed and built by a collective of Master’s in Sustainable Architecture students, on their Build module in collaboration with artist Jeremy Deller, Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno and the National Gallery.

A Structure Rooted in Sustainability 

Rooted in CAT’s ethos of hands-on, community-led sustainability, Gorsedd is more than a stage—it’s a symbol of collective action, cultural heritage, and ecological urgency. Constructed using Welsh timber, Somerset willow, Plywood supplied by ReCollective (a Materials Agency founded by graduates of CAT) and slate from CAT’s own Llwyngwern Quarry, the structure draws inspiration from Celtic stone circles, Druidic rituals, and the National Gallery’s wartime history of storing paintings securely in Manod Quarry.

This project is part of CAT’s  Build Module, a unique and core component of our ARB-accredited Part II Master’s in Sustainable Architecture. The course blends design theory with practical construction, empowering students to explore low-impact materials, vernacular techniques, and community engagement.

The Build module allows students to delve into the practical aspects of implementing designs and construction through hands-on building workshops working on briefs for live clients. The structures designed and built each year on the module emphasise sustainability, minimal waste, responsible sourcing and versatility.

CAT student, Louis Parry-Jones said “One of the key elements of the Sustainable Architecture Masters at CAT, which first attracted me to the course, was the Build module. I would never have imagined that the National Gallery would approach us with such an exciting brief for the module! I have learnt so much from the design and build process that I believe will be invaluable in my future practice.”

Built by Many Hands: A Performative Construction

The build was a feat of collaboration, echoing traditional barn-raising and mast-stepping techniques. The frame raising was done entirely by hand, a very rare event these days, over Thursday and Friday ahead of the event on Saturday 26 July. Using choreographed movements, the raising was a performative expression of teamwork celebrating what can be achieved when we consider simpler ways of doing things, learning from the past, focusing on tools we already have and working together for a common purpose.

Gorsedd is the outcome of many hands working towards a shared goal. From the students, to MArch tutors Gwyn Stacey and Dieter Brandstätter, Jenny Hall, CAT graduate Simon Elliston and collaborators Momentum Engineering.

Richard Heath from Momentum Engineering, an award-winning structural and civil engineering consultancy that specialises in timber design and construction, said “We have been providing engineering support to the design of structures created during Build week for over 20 years and the Triumph of Art is one of the largest projects undertaken! We have been providing structural engineering advice on the student’s design and self-build methods of the timber structure and inspected the erected structure in Trafalgar Square prior to its use in the National Gallery Bicentenary celebrations”.

Throughout the build, students have had help from members of the CAT community and members of the local public with weaving willow using simple techniques to form the woven frames that are part of the roof of the structure.

“The support we have had from our tutors, classmates and the wider CAT community over the last year has been extraordinary; we could not have completed this project without it. The symbolism of the project is deeply rooted in our experiences at CAT and the coming together of a community.” CAT student, Anna Karien-Drost

A Legacy Beyond Trafalgar Square

The students involved in the Build Hannah Maxey, Anna Drost, Alfie Hatch, Cat San, Sam Garbett and Louis Parry-Jones have also gone on to set up Studio CLAASH, a student-led design and build collective which they will continue once they complete their studies at CAT.

And though Gorsedd’s debut is in Trafalgar Square, we hope to use it again for an event at CAT next year and hopefully at other festivals and events across the country in the future, continuing to share CAT’s message of sustainable, community-driven change and the impressive feat our student cohort has achieved during their studies.

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July 26, 2025
CAT and students to join ‘Triumph of Art’ event

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) and their Graduate School students invite you to join them at Trafalgar Square on 26 July 2025 to celebrate the National Gallery’s Bicentenary.

This event is part of The Triumph of Art, a nationwide project by artist Jeremy Deller. It was commissioned by the National Gallery, London, as part of NG200, its Bicentenary celebrations.

Join us in Trafalgar Square

CAT is proud to be a collaborator and exhibiting partner at this extraordinary event, which highlights the role of art, culture, and civic life in shaping our communities. As part of the collaborative programme, CAT’s presence in Trafalgar Square will showcase our commitment to sustainability and positive change through an impressive build exhibit and engagement activities in green skills, alongside fellow institutions from across the UK.

CAT’s Sustainable Architecture students have also been working with Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno and the National Gallery, London, to design and build a structure that will be unveiled for the first time at the unique celebration in Trafalgar Square and is inspired by multiple sources, particularly CAT’s lineage of self-build construction and working with natural materials.

CAT student collaboration with the National Gallery and Mostyn Gallery

Designed by CAT students Hannah Maxey and Anna Drost, they were joined by fellow students (Alfie Hatch, Cat San, Sam Garbett and Louis Parry-Jones) on CAT’s MArch Sustainable Architecture course, and supported by Senior Lecturer, Gwyn Stacey, and Momentum Engineering to build the structure as part of CAT’s Build Week, which offers students the opportunity to gain knowledge of a selection of sustainable building systems through hands-on building workshops.

Throughout the build, students have had help from members of the CAT community and members of the local public with weaving willow using simple techniques to form the woven frames that are part of the roof of the structure.

Student Hannah Maxey said, “This has been an exciting, challenging and inspiring project to be a part of. The skills I have picked up working as part of a team to take the project from brief to build are innumerable – from liaising with Jeremy Deller and Mostyn Gallery, researching and specifying materials, to improving my confidence in the workshop. The opportunity to get hands-on in such a supportive environment is exactly what I wanted from my Master’s at CAT. On top of this, it is especially exciting that the project will go on to showcase the beauty of natural materials in the centre of London.”

Co-CEO of CAT Eileen Kinsman said, “It is wonderful for CAT to be able to share our work as a charity on this scale and at one of the most creative events of the year. It has been inspiring to see how our students over the past year have applied their learning and understanding of implementing sustainable design and construction to the practical opportunity of working with Jeremy Deller and the team from Mostyn Gallery and the National Gallery as part of their Build project. It has been a real pleasure to see the build come to life, and we are excited to see it (the build) revealed this summer in Trafalgar Square.”

Find out more about the event

Find out more about the Triumph of Art project here, and join the celebrations on 26 July. Make sure to also keep an eye on CAT’s social media for updates on the day as the structure is unveiled.

July 17, 2025
CAT Conversations: Sandy Stevens, CAT graduate

CAT graduate Sandy Stevens graduated with a distinction in our MSc in Sustainability and Behaviour Change in 2021. After four years of hard work and dedication she recently completed a PhD at Aberystwyth University. We caught up with her to find out more…
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June 27, 2025
CAT Student Bursaries Announced for 2025

CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment is pleased to confirm the postgraduate bursaries available to new students wishing to fund their studies with us from September 2025.
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January 30, 2025