Who’s in the office?
Get to know the people behind the scenes, Hawkland’s directors and our growing architectural department…
David Copeland, CEO - Business Development
Founding Hawkland with business partner Chris in 2016, David’s path into ecological construction was sparked by a combination of interests. A passion for Design and Technology from his school days meant that David initially began working in renovation and retrofit. Acutely interested in the workings of the world and our impact on it as humans from an early age, David simultaneously pursued Environmental Management at university, followed by a MSc at the Centre for Alternative Technology. His academic interest in the impact of the built environment and alternative materials, combined with his passion for practical skills, created a natural synergy. It was during his time, whilst working for Straw Build and volunteering for various volunteer projects across Europe, that David met Chris, who shared his passion for innovation within the construction industry, and thus Hawkland was born.
“It seemed the use of sustainable and natural materials was a catalyst for change, not only in terms of their environmental impact, but in regard to the culture of the industry as well.”
After moving into a more strategic role at Hawkland, David has enjoyed overseeing the process of turning ideas into tangible results. In addition, he values spending time on-site and contributing to Hawkland’s collaborative and positive working culture.
“Construction can be a difficult industry, so offering projects with environmentally positive materials and an enjoyable on-site culture is great.”
David stresses the importance of infrastructural change within the UK built environment if we are to meet the net-zero 2050 target. He says, “there is now an opportunity within the construction industry,” pointing out the fact that the majority of houses set to exist in 2050 have already been built - “we have to start looking at sustainable retrofit.”
Looking ahead, David wants to focus on streamlining Hawkland’s infrastructure and operations, as well as growing the architectural team. Beyond Hawkland, David is enthusiastic about taking on any new physical challenge, whether that be surfing, swimming, running or cycling.
Chris Hawker, COO - Construction Manager
Before Hawkland, Chris worked in IT. His lifelong interest in sustainability and the built environment, however, led to an MSc at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies. Chris was motivated by the idea of using alternative, natural materials during his studies and soon got to work in grassroots Straw Bale building. It was at this time that Chris met David, and they bonded over their mutual wish to drive sustainable innovation within the UK construction industry. Hawkland was born shortly after.
During his time at Hawkland, Chris has developed a profound appreciation for the problem solving elements of his role. He enjoys overseeing projects from start to finish: visiting properties, providing clients with innovative solutions, and witnessing their excitement upon seeing the finished sustainable space.
Chris’s passion for sustainability and ecological construction stems from his belief that reducing carbon emissions within the built environment is key to mitigating the climate crisis. However, he also points out that the natural materials utilised by Hawkland are the most efficient materials to use in construction.
“You don’t need to care about climate change or ecological issues to get the benefits of using natural materials , because they kind of make sense anyway - they’re often the best materials to use.”
Chris is looking forward to the many exciting projects that are in Hawkland’s pipeline, and wants to focus on growing the architectural department. Outside of work, Chris enjoys martial arts and Filipino stick fighting, travelling across Europe for competitions. He also likes playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Amber Vaughan-Perrett - Architectural Assistant
After studying for her undergraduate degree in Architecture at the University of Portsmouth, Amber completed a year’s placement at a design and build company. Amber’s interest in sustainable design led her to Hawkland, joining the team in early 2022. She has since worked on a diverse portfolio of work.
Amber enjoys the collaborative element of her work at Hawkland the most. On larger projects, she values working not only with Ben, but with Chris and David too, and being exposed to the different perspectives emerging between business, design and build.
Amber is passionate abut sustainability and ecological design because she sees an opportunity for change in the UK built environment:
“The way that we build at the moment isn’t sustainable long-term, we are running out of space, so we need to find ways to make what we have usable and efficient.”
In her spare time, Amber likes making pottery, drawing, listening to live music and spending time outdoors.
BEN NOTHER - COO | Architect
Ben began working in the construction industry when he was 14, and continued working on-site throughout his architectural education. He has since attained 25 years of experience within the industry. It was while studying at the Centre for Alternative Technology that Ben initially met David. After completing his part three course, Ben set up his own architectural practise as an ARB registered Architect, focusing on the use of natural materials and sustainable designs. During this time, David and Chris formed Hawkland. The trio’s mutual interest in ecological design and build resulted in their work together on multiple projects, working first as separate entities and then eventually combining under the Hawkland name. Ben officially joined Hawkland in early 2022.
Ben enjoys Hawkland’s working culture and people. In addition, he values the flexibility of fitting work around family commitments.
“The team, both on and off site are great, they’re very skilled and knowledgeable and the office and site environments are substantially different to the kinds of site teams I was used to working with.”
Ben believes his work in ecological design is important because, “on a large scale, the industry has been slow to change the contemporary forms of construction we’ve had since the 60s, the the levels of pollutants caused by the standard type of construction hasn’t lowered.”
Ben is looking forward to bigger and more impactful projects in Hawkland’s future. He says, “retrofitting houses will always be a key part to help improve our living environments and the housing stock is there to constantly improve, but creatively flexing our design skills on more complex projects is always a goal to reach for.”
Outside of Hawkland, Ben enjoys spending time with his family, especially building lego with his daughter. He also runs a podcast about video games and craft beer with his friends.
If you’re interested in what we do at Hawkland, book a free discovery session via our website to find out more.