Founded in 2016, construction firm and social enterprise, Hawkland is transforming sustainability in the residential building sector across the South West through the use of natural materials.
The Bristol-based company combines low-carbon materials such as hempcrete, lime plaster, fibreboard and straw bale with cutting-edge developments in the approach to airtightness, ventilation and energy-efficient design in their projects, creating more sustainable, better-insulated homes with much lower ecological impact.
Data from the UK’s Green Building Council reveals that nearly half (47%) of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions are directly associated with the built environment sector – highlighting the urgent need for more businesses to follow in Hawkland’s steps and take a greener approach.
Hawkland operates as a social enterprise, with all profits reinvested into the business’ aim of improving sustainability across the industry through research and development into new tools, techniques and practices.
Offering a complete service from initial design right through to construction, the team are reinventing existing buildings standards by leading on the development of green new build homes across the South-West as well as retrofitting existing properties.
After banking with NatWest since the business launched, co-founder David Copeland applied to join NatWest’s Accelerator Hub earlier this year. The programme recognises and supports the development of innovative and pioneering entrepreneurs and companies.
Hawkland currently uses the free co-working space at the Bristol Hub as their main office – allowing their growing team to work together for the first time since lockdown.
Commenting on their journey so far, Hawkland Co-founder David Copeland, said: “When we first started our business, sustainable construction was still in its early stages. The construction industry has come a long way since then, and we’re now seeing real change, an increase in emphasis on sustainability – as well as improvement and developments of new low-carbon materials and technologies.”
“As a social enterprise, our environmental mission is at the heart of everything we do and the support from NatWest has been invaluable in giving us the space, opportunity, and avenues to connect not only with our own team but also with other businesses on the programme.
“Even when you have a co-founder and a great team in place, running a business can be incredibly difficult, so being able to connect and share your experiences with like-minded entrepreneurs at the NatWest hub – even ones in competing fields – has been a game-changer for us.”
NatWest’s free Accelerator Hub programme specialises in wraparound support and provides one-to-one coaching with expert acceleration managers. It also provides a programme of thought leadership, events, and access to a network of peers, supported by NatWest’s ecosystem managers.
Members benefits from focused support from experts in their specialism as well as use of modern co-working spaces in one of NatWest’s nationwide hubs, including Bristol.
