Spotlight on…
Dr Will Hawkins, Co-investigator, University of Bath
What’s your current role at your institution?
I’m a lecturer in structural engineering design at the University of Bath. My teaching and research focus on accelerating the decarbonisation of the built environment, particularly through reducing material consumption and the role of structural engineers. While my core expertise lies in structural design innovation and optimisation, I integrate this with life cycle assessment, materials science, industrial ecology, and even some machine learning—always with an emphasis on practical applications.
Which past experiences have helped you the most in your current role?
As a graduate structural engineer, I became aware of the vast scale of material use in construction and its environmental impacts. This sparked my research journey, beginning with a PhD on minimising material use in buildings by developing a novel, optimised vaulted concrete floor system. I enjoyed the freedom to explore complex ideas while drawing on industry experience.
I later joined the interdisciplinary UK FIRES project, which mapped pathways to decarbonise the UK’s interconnected industrial sectors. There, we explored the concept of a zero-emission construction industry and developed the Zero Carbon Resource Pool—a diverse set of materials that can realistically be produced without emissions, each with unique strengths, limitations, and research opportunities. Bio-based materials emerged as a key component, and my work on their climate impacts laid the foundation for my involvement in Transforming Homes.
What excites you about the research in the Transforming Homes project?
It’s fantastic to work on a project with a tangible, positive impact on people’s lives while advancing housing decarbonisation. What excites me most, however, is its scalability. With 1.4 million similar low-rise council-built houses in the UK, the solutions we’re developing could make a major contribution to adapting our building stock to meet decarbonisation targets at scale—while delivering co-benefits beyond carbon and energy savings.
Moreover, the project’s exemplary approach to holistic co-design offers a valuable blueprint for the wider sector.
How is your expertise contributing to the Transforming Homes project?
My main contribution has been life cycle assessment and modelling, evaluating how design decisions affect both operational emissions and the embodied impacts of materials and products. I’m also exploring the broader implications of scaling up bio-based materials, aiming to identify “win-win” technologies that maximise climate, ecological, performance, economic, and biodiversity benefits.