Meet the team
- SAINT-GOBAIN: (click to view)
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Gerry Mitchell
Gerry Mitchell is Head of Innovation at Saint-Gobain Isover and represents Saint-Gobain on The University of Nottingham’s Solar Decathlon design team.
Gerry has an educational background in mathematics and computer studies and has spent almost his entire career working in the construction industry, predominantly within the insulation sector of Saint-Gobain. He has held a variety of roles in product management and marketing management, and has been responsible for the development and launch of a range of innovative products and systems which have been widely adopted by house builders, some of which are uniquely referenced in the Building Regulations.
A licensed Code for Sustainable Homes assessor, Gerry is also trained in the use of SAP energy assessment software and the Passivhaus PHPP energy calculation tool. Gerry represents Saint-Gobain on a number of high-profile organisations such as the UK Green Building Council and performs a similar role within The University of Nottingham’s Solar Decathlon design team.
Matthew Kirby
Matthew Kirby is the Marketing Manager for the glass divisions of Solaglas and is responsible for managing the glazing specification for the Solar Decathlon house.
Matthew joined Solaglas in 2003 as Marketing Executive after graduating from the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, now part of the University of Manchester, with a first class honours degree in International Management and American Business Studies. Progressing to Business Manager and Product Manager positions before commencing his current role as Glass Marketing Manager, Mathew has gained extensive product and industry knowledge.
Matthew has been working on the Solar Decathlon project since June 2009 and is managing the glazing specification to ensure it meets the structure’s demanding sustainability and performance requirements.
Sarah White
Sarah White is Residential Market Manager for British Gypsum and is managing the internal lining solutions for the Solar Decathlon entry.
Sarah White joined British Gypsum in 1999 after graduating from Coventry University with a B.Eng. (Hons) degree in Engineering. Starting in the Building Test Centre as a Technologist, before progressing to Section Manager, Sarah gained a vast amount of experience in construction product and system design. Sarah has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control at the University of Derby and most recently a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing through the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
In her current role as Residential Market Manager, Sarah manages the development of new products and drylining systems to the residential sector. Sarah is responsible for the development and specification of the internal lining solutions used within the Solar Decathlon house, to ensure the final design achieves the high levels of thermal and acoustic insulation required to meet the most onerous level of the Code for Sustainable Homes and is compatible with rapid volumetric assembly techniques.
Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell is Sales Director with Pasquill Timber Engineering and is assisting in the development and design of the main structure of the Solar Decathlon project.
Gordon joined Pasquill Timber Engineering in 2006 to grow its market leading position and to develop new innovations and solutions meeting the requirements of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM) and the Code for Sustainable Homes. He has worked closely with developers on leading sustainable developments and with major national housebuilders on solutions for achieving Code Level 6.
Gordon has a Diploma in Business Management and with 14 years’ sales and commercial experience, has extensive knowledge of the building materials and construction sectors.
Alan Penny
Alan Penny is Business Development Director for Greenworks, the sustainable products brand in Saint-Gobain Building Distribution (SGBD), and is overseeing the product solutions for the Solar Decathlon project.
Alan joined SGBD in 2006 and has been responsible for developing the Greenworks brand, including introducing new product initiatives and developing service extensions for customers, such as launching the Greenworks training academy. Alan has an HND in Mechanical Engineering and more than 20 years’ industry experience, having previously held several senior management positions within The Wolseley Group.
Alan is responsible for supplying SGBD product solutions that will satisfy the Solar Decathlon team’s requirements for the building.
Richard Volonterio
Richard Volonterio is Technical Director for Pasquill Timber Engineering and is fabricating structural components for the Solar Decathlon project.
Richard originally trained as an architect and after graduating moved into timber engineering, working in design, production and management. Richard has more than 30 years’ experience in the sector, covering timber frame, trussed rafters, I joists and Glulam with national and international companies. In his current role as Technical Director, Richard focuses on special projects and product innovation and is responsible for the operation and production of the Moreys Timber engineering site.
Richard has worked as part of the design team for the Solar Decathlon project, providing input into the manufacturing process and is overseeing the fabrication of the structural components (walls, floors and cassettes), which form sub-assemblies of the main modular structure. - UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM STUDENTS: (click to view)
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Ben Hopkins
Ben Hopkins is currently studying for his Architectural Diploma at The University of Nottingham and is part of the Solar Decathlon student team.
Ben began his formal architectural education at The University of Nottingham where he and Rachael Lee won an international competition to design an alternative to Brunel’s Clifton suspension bridge. After graduating with first class honours Ben spent a year and a half at Edward Cullinan architects, during which he worked as part of the team designing the new BREEAM Excellent Gateway building to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.
On returning to Nottingham to complete his Architectural Diploma, Ben joined the ZCARS (Zero Carbon Architectural Research Studio). In this unit, along with Rachael Lee and Chris Dalton, Ben worked on a sustainable community in Nottingham and produced the winning entry to the Solar Decathlon competition within the school. Over the summer Ben has worked at Marsh Grochowski Architects to finalise the initial designs for the Solar Decathlon house as well as working at Edward Cullinan Architects on another BREEAM Excellent building.
Chris Dalton
Chris Dalton is currently a Diploma of Architecture student at The University of Nottingham and one of the three student designers of the Nottingham Solar Decathlon entry.
Prior to starting his current Architectural Diploma course, Chris spent four years studying the MEng Architecture and Environmental Design course at The University of Nottingham. Following his graduation Chris spent a year with Rayner Davies Architects in Nottingham as an Architectural Assistant, where he worked on a number of residential new build and refurbishment schemes.
After rejoining the university in 2008, Chris worked with the ZCARS and fellow students Rachael Lee and Ben Hopkins to look at bringing a 1930’s home in line with Code for Sustainable Homes and also created the entry which secured the University’s place in the final of the Solar Decathlon competition. Along with the other students Chris spent the summer working with Marsh Grochowski Architects in Nottingham developing the design and drawing package for the Solar Decathlon house, as well as constructing scale models of the project.
Rachael Lee
Rachael Lee is currently studying for her Architectural Diploma at The University of Nottingham and is a member of the Solar Decathlon student design team.
Rachael began her formal architectural education at The University of Nottingham where she and Ben Hopkins won the international competition to design an alternative to Brunel’s Clifton suspension bridge. After graduating with a second class honours (upper), Rachael spent a year at DLA Architecture, during which she worked on a range of projects including the regeneration of former mining villages with the aim of creating sustainable communities.
On returning to Nottingham to complete her Architectural Diploma, Rachael worked on a number of live projects including a master plan for the city of Lincoln and voluntarily took part in the construction of a school in South Africa, designed by 2nd and 5th year students from the university. Rachael then joined the ZCARS and in this unit, along with Ben Hopkins and Chris Dalton, worked on a sustainable community in Nottingham and produced the winning entry to the Solar Decathlon competition within the school. Over the summer Rachael worked at Marsh Grochowski Architects to finalise the initial designs for the Solar Decathlon house. - UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM LECTURERS: (click to view)
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Dr Mark Gillott
Dr Mark Gillott is The Nottingham H.O.U.S.E Project Director and Faculty Coordinator for The University of Nottingham's Solar Decathlon competition entry.
Dr Gillott is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Institute of Sustainable Energy Technology at the School of the Built Environment, University of Nottingham. He has over 14 years’ research experience in low carbon sustainable energy technologies and energy efficient building design. He has a degree in Civil Engineering, an MSc in Architecture, Environmental Design and Engineering, and a PhD in Sustainable Energy Technology.
Dr Gillott has an extensive track record of working with house builders and architects to deliver low/zero carbon housing projects including his current work project managing the research and development of the "Creative Energy Homes Project", a research test facility and educational showcase of seven sustainable homes, at The University of Nottingham.
Lucélia Taranto Rodrigues BArch DipArch MSc
Lucélia Taranto Rodrigues is a lecturer in Bioclimatic Architecture at The University of Nottingham and is responsible for the coordination of the interior design of the Solar Decathlon house.
Lucélia qualified as an architect and urban designer in 1999 and spent the next five years working in practice on residential and commercial building projects, where she acquired a large amount of experience in the use of recycled and reclaimed materials in modern architecture. Seeking to further her knowledge on sustainable issues she completed an MSc in Renewable Energy and Architecture and explored the thermal performance of Modern Methods of Construction houses as part of her Doctoral research.
Lucélia’s teaching at the department of the Built Environment of the University of Nottingham has a strong focus on environmental design and bioclimatic architecture and her work has always been very cross-disciplinary, building the link between architecture, building science and renewable energy technologies. Lucélia was one of the members of the ZCARS team tutoring the students who designed the winning entry to the Solar Decathlon competition within the school.
Guillermo Guzman Dumont
Guillermo Guzman Dumont is the management team’s communications officer for the University of Nottingham’s Solar Decathlon competition entry.
Guillermo is a full time lecturer in architecture and Director of External Relations and Communications at the School of the Built Environment at the University of Nottingham. Having graduated in Architecture from Universidad del Bio-Bio, Concepcion Chile in 1993, Guillermo completed an MSc in Renewable Energy and Architecture as well as a PGCHE (post graduate certificate in higher education) at the University of Nottingham.
Guillermo has more than 15 years’ experience teaching design and is one of the principal instigators of the Creative Energy Homes project, which is sponsored by a number of UK housing developers. He has set up joint courses and collaboration agreements with prestigious Latin American universities and in 2005 was appointed visiting professor at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile's Diploma in Sustainable Architecture. Guillermo has also been a member of the Cuba research council since 2007.
