Maria Hawton-Mead

A sustainable design consultant with over 25 years’ experience in low-energy buildings, renewable energy, interior design, project management and eco renovations on projects large and small.

A unique mix of passion, technical expertise and design skills

MSc in Sustainable Architecture (Distinction) from the Centre of Alternative Technology. This included in-depth research into ventilation strategies, heat pumps and modern methods of construction.
Qualified SAP energy assessor
Certified Passive House designer
AECB Carbonlite Retrofit graduate
Qualified interior designer

An advocate of…

Protecting our beautiful planet and only building zero-carbon developments.

*

Taking a fabric first approach. That is improving building fabric performance before meeting the residual energy demand with renewable energy sources.

*

Designing in insulation, airtightness and low thermal bridging from the start of a project.

*

Using Passive House standards and software to minimise energy demand and future-proof against rising energy prices and climate change.

*

Building healthy homes using non-polluting materials with low embodied energy and appropriate ventilation strategies.

*

Maintaining breathing walls and healthy indoor air, by using natural hygroscopic insulation for traditional solid walls which were originally designed to breathe.

Designing future-friendly community outdoor spaces and adaptable homes to meet lifetime needs.

*

Making homes and buildings simpler and understandable to run by considering how occupants are likely to use them.

*

Responsible retrofitting. Carefully considering the knock-on implications of renovation decisions in older properties.

Selected roles and experience

Assessor for government-funded sustainability competitions (2010–present)
Member of the Design Review Panel for the South Downs National Park (2020–present)
Sustainability consultancy for Brighton & Hove City Council (2006–2020)
Contributor to the Ovesco community energy project, Barcombe (2021)
Advisor to National Energy Services on software development
Co-author of Brighton & Hove City Council’s planning advice notes on energy efficiency of historic buildings in conservation areas and external wall insulation
Contributing author to zerocarbonbritain 2030 (2019)
Author of Radian Housing Association Energy Matrix
Lecturer on the MSc in Sustainable Architecture at the Centre of Alternative Technology

“Maria has a wealth of knowledge which she brought to our community energy event for our CommuniHeat project in Barcombe giving a really great presentation on energy efficiency in the home to help villagers to journey to zero carbon.”

Nicki Myers, Project Manager at Ovesco CIC (Community Interest Company)

“…a feeling for the process being an interactive one, involving the changes going on in the people as well as the house…able to work patiently with people who have little experience of carrying out major changes to a house, who do not really know what the process is going to be like.”

Ann Link, Homeowner of 1950s bungalow

“…she gave us really helpful advice and proved a source of ideas…one particular recommendation was a supplier of triple glazed wooden framed aluminium clad windows which have been efficient and much admired.”

William Akroyd, Homeowner

“Maria has provided invaluable help in what seemed a daunting project of retrofitting our late Victorian house, insulating the building to a very high standard, and coming off gas with the installation of an air source heat pump. Maria has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is also able to recommend contractors whom she knows and trusts.”

Jane Roderic-Evans, Homeowner / Edwardian semi-detached house

“Maria helped us to think about how we would eco retrofit our Victorian terraced house in Hove. She was vital in helping us understand what could be effective and giving us the knowledge and confidence to ask for eco measures in many aspects of our extensive building works. She helped get our builders and architects on board providing specialist information that helped them understand what was possible, as well as practical. We would have never got as far as we did without her inspiration and expertise. She was so easy to talk to and a pleasure to work with.”

Andrea Jones, Homeowner

Previous Next

1 2 3 4 5