We asked Tom a few questions to introduce him to our network… 

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. What personal experiences have influenced you?  

I’m someone who has always been driven by passion and enthusiasm, both in my personal and professional life, and if I find a topic fascinating, I’m hooked! 

From a young age, I’ve had a deep connection with nature and this was possibly my first understanding about the need for sustainability.  My early obsession with animals sparked an awareness of the importance of protecting both the natural world and the ecosystems that support them. Witnessing the challenges these creatures face in their shrinking habitats has always stayed with me. 

I’ve also been fortunate to visit awe-inspiring places, from dense forests to stunning architectural marvels, which have only deepened my appreciation for the built and natural environments. These experiences gave me insight into the delicate balance between development and conservation. 

The main thing fuelling my desire to make a lasting impact in sustainability is my son.  He’s now 16-months old and from the moment he was born, all I could think about is what the world would be like in 50 or 60 years when I’m no longer around.  The truth is, it scared me!  Instead of burying my head in the sand about issues, I decided it was time to take the plunge into finding a company that could challenge and dramatically improve the built environment with a sustainable and circular solution.  My hope is that he will get to see many awe inspiring places, full of biodiversity and not be stuck dealing with a world overused and underappreciated by previous generations . 

Q: What inspired your shift from traditional real estate to a focus on sustainability and circularity? 

The shift came in two ways.  The first I’ve already mentioned; my desire to change what the future looks like for my son.   
The second comes from knowing that the built environment is one of the biggest contributors to waste and carbon emissions.  For me it made sense for me to learn more about the challenge from people in the know, so I started reaching out and having many conversations with fascinating people who have dedicated their careers to creating a sustainable real estate sector.  By understanding the key issues from people more knowledgeable than me (this included taking a Sustainable Real Estate course via the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership) it became clear that with so many materials used within property and the carbon footprint that comes with sourcing them, without circularity, there’s no chance of creating impactful, long-lasting change. 

Q: How does Madaster help developers and asset owners reduce costs while meeting sustainability goals? 

I’ve always been a firm believer that technology when used correctly, adds such incredible value.  The data it can gather creates clarity to guide decision making. 

For me, Madaster’s material passports enable this transparency as when you know the value of materials in your buildings, where they came from and how they can detach, you can plan for future reuse.  Knowing the value of your materials, their reusability and how material passports can help with ESG reporting and risk mitigation, it becomes obvious that there are multiple different cost and sustainability benefits. 

What I really like about Madaster’s approach is that material passports will change the way people think about buildings as they suddenly become material banks.  The only way to create real change is by getting everyone working together and think differently to the way we’ve been building for the past 100-years.  Madaster’s real value is how it’s getting people to think as much about circularity and what can happen next for a building’s materials instead of them ending up in landfill. 

Q: What excites you most about the future of the built environment? 

What excites me most is the innovation coming out of the built environment.  Sustainability has been around for years however, only a few real innovators have been pushing this agenda.  Nowadays, every company has a plan to reach net-zero, almost all commercial tenants are demanding more sustainable buildings.  So there’s demand from everyone for change. 

What I’ve noticed is that this has mainly manifested as tech and smart building design to hep with the operational carbon of buildings; as this is much easier to track and the results are immediate.  Now it’s time for real innovation when reviewing embodied carbon. 

The potential for buildings to be thought of as ‘material banks’ is exciting. If we design with reuse in mind, we can greatly reduce waste, create more sustainable projects, and even unlock financial value in materials that might have been discarded before…

Follow Tom on LinkedIn or get in touch to find out how the Madaster team are working to reshape the future of real estate, one sustainable project at a time.