Celebrating our new Head of Research, Catherine Sinclair

Catherine Sinclair Appointed Head of Research

Catherine Sinclair has recently been promoted to Head of Research. Having completed her Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Northumbria University and SPACE in August, she has effortlessly transitioned into her new position, revelling in the opportunity to strengthen the practice's research capacity and motivated by the prospect of seeing her work in motion. 

During her two-year KTP, Catherine explored how early design choices influence a building’s overall carbon footprint. Working closely with Director Chris Holmes, she developed D-CARB (Design Carbon Assessment and Reduction for Buildings), an open-access Revit plug-in designed to assess whole-life carbon from the earliest stages of design. Created for architects who want to better understand their projects’ environmental effects from RIBA Stage 2 onwards, the tool integrates insight directly into their workflow, making carbon awareness a natural part of the design process.

Catherine’s KTP laid the groundwork for her current role as Head of Research. She is now exploring material transport distances and the presence of forever chemicals, alongside undertaking Life Cycle Assessments, implementing her research into practice and embedding her findings into live projects. The self-directed nature of the KTP also allowed Catherine to develop her research strategy and innovation skills, both of which are transferrable to her new role.

On this topic, Catherine stated, " Being able to lead my own project and develop a research strategy has been invaluable preparation for this role. I have Rob and Chris to consult with, but I’m the one bringing forward the strategy and exploring where we should go next, based on the needs of the practice and where we can make the greatest difference. There is a real sense of trust in this work, and it feels full of opportunity.”

While looking into workflows during her KTP, Catherine realised that many available tools were overly complicated and time-consuming to use, often focussing on the later project stages rather than integrating reduction measures from the earliest design phase. This gap led to the development of D-CARB, a simpler, more accessible tool that brings carbon thinking into the earliest stages of architecture.

A regular speaker at our annual _shift climate conference, Catherine will return to the stage this year to introduce the D-CARB tool. Her talk will focus on its development journey, from the early concept through to its latest advances in design and usability.

As Head of Research, Catherine is eager to deepen her work and help drive meaningful progress within the practice and across the built environment. Her plan is to get involved in a range of different research projects with other academics and professionals in the sector. Catherine adds,“I think Head of Research is a really exciting role. I qualified as an architect a few years ago, and this has taken me in a direction I didn’t originally expect, but one I’m genuinely proud of. It’s given me a platform to make a real impact. I’ve always been curious about new ideas and ways of working, so if we can continue to build on that, it will be fantastic. I’m excited to see where it goes, because even in the two years of the KTP, you can already see the difference it’s made.”

Catherine’s hopes for the future reflect her passion for positive change and carbon reduction. She wants to be able to measure and see the impact that is being made with her D-CARB tool, and through undertaking life-cycle assessments. Increasing people’s knowledge about whole life carbon and inspiring them to get involved is something that gives Catherine a rewarding sense of purpose in her career. She is eager to continue her involvement, making sure that everyone in the practice is participating in their own way.

At SPACE Architects, the introduction of a Head of Research marks an important step in how we approach design. Research has always been part of our process, but this role allows it to take a more active place within the practice, ensuring that what we learn through investigation is carried through into our projects. Catherine’s appointment reflects our belief that research should move alongside design, guiding the way we work and helping us create buildings with lasting purpose.