MPA strengthens Concrete Centre sustainability team

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has made three sustainability hires at The Concrete Centre to accelerate guidance on circular design, whole-life carbon and performance.

Andrea Charlson becomes senior built environment sustainability specialist and circular economy lead. A chartered environmentalist with 15 years’ experience across materials and carbon footprinting, she previously held roles at Arup, HS2, ReLondon and Useful Projects, and led UK operations at Madaster, a materials passport platform focused on building circularity.

Jake Attwood-Harris joins as senior built environment sustainability specialist. With a background in architecture and sustainable engineering, he has developed internal and client policies and analysis tools, including an early whole-life carbon calculation tool for Revit. He is a BREEAM accredited professional and a Passivhaus designer.

The Concrete Centre has also appointed senior sustainability architect Helen Raymond as a consultant. An advocate of fabric-first design, thermal mass and passive strategies, she brings experience from consultancy leadership and her practice, RAW Architecture.

The appointments follow the promotion of Elaine Toogood to senior director for MPA Concrete and the retirement of building physics advisor Tom de Saulles. Toogood said the expanded team would help the Centre make the case for concrete’s role in a low-carbon, low-waste and resilient built environment, supporting architects, engineers and clients with best practice, innovation and compliance.

The Concrete Centre provides guidance, resources and training on sustainable concrete design, construction and performance for the UK built environment.