CAT stories

CAT’s members, volunteers, supporters, graduates and students form an inspiring community. People like you are making a real difference, finding a whole host of ways to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies in their daily lives. Here are some of their stories.

Guillermo Fernández Camacho

Guillermo studied at the School of Architecture of Madrid and had experience refurbishing historical buildings in Spain’s World Heritage City of Alcalá de Henares before his studies at CAT. Yet he felt he lacked the technical knowledge to tackle environmental issues or implement sustainability strategies in his work. To fill this knowledge gap, he was part of the very first intake of students onto our Green Building MSc course in 2019.

“CAT was a wonderful place to start my journey on a fulfilling professional path. Having participated in international exchange programmes at the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff during my degree, I first saw CAT from afar during a road trip in Wales. The location of the place and its sustainability credentials stood out to me, which is why I chose to study there.”

After finishing the Green Building course in 2021, Guillermo took a role at PYC, a construction company in Mid Wales with a strong sustainability ethos. He is currently an architectural designer at PYC and part of a team that designs and builds houses using sustainable materials (I-beam timber frame with cellulose insulation in closed prefabricated panels) with high energy performance (with airtightness and insulation levels up to the Passivhaus standard).

During Guillermo’s studies, he was specifically interested in sustainable building techniques, vernacular architecture and identity, interests he has been able to continue exploring through to his current role. He hopes to learn more about construction and ways to integrate sustainable strategies into architectural design in order to manage construction projects that result in exciting places and identities that have sustainability as a core value.

After finishing the Green Building course in 2021, Guillermo took a role at PYC, a construction company in Mid Wales with a strong sustainability ethos.

Sandy Stevens

After attending a Zero Carbon Britain course, Sandy was inspired to pursue further studies with CAT and began our MSc in Sustainability and Behaviour in 2019. She graduated in 2021 and is now working towards a PhD at Aberystwyth University, pursuing further research within the area of environmental behaviour change.

Sandy is looking to include the Welsh farming community in her research, through discussions and conversations around climate change, and engaging local people in considering, exploring and critiquing more sustainable sources of income to safeguard their livelihoods.

“I taught English in Spain for years and lived and worked in five different European countries. So, it was a welcome surprise to discover that CAT’s Masters programmes are accessible for all and that you don’t need a background in climate science to join them. I signed up for a Graduate School open day in the month following the Zero Carbon Britain course I attended, and the rest is history!

“Studying at CAT has given me the confidence to pursue a career in research. During my MSc studies, I discovered a real passion for the world of research, which led to my decision to apply for a PhD. The MSc programme taught me the importance of having a solid study ethic and following a successful dissertation (thanks to some very insightful CAT tutors) I had the self-confidence to face the challenge of a doctoral thesis.” CS

Do you have a CAT story? Please get in touch at members@cat.org.uk to tell us about it and let us know what you’re doing now – we love to hear about your work, the connections you’re forming, and how CAT’s work is guiding and inspiring you.