Caroline Best and fellow architect Sharon Poots put together the feasibility study and business case that required departmental approval to build six new energy and cost-efficient homes at the junction of Ballysillan Road and Sunningdale Gardens in Belfast.
Caroline, a former Antrim Grammar student said, “My involvement in these two-bedroom three-person homes, which were built to Passivhaus energy standards, was a massive step forward for the Housing Executive and a highlight of my career.
“Getting approval from the Department for Communities and Department of Finance as well as internally was very much a team effort from Sharon and I. It involved years of research to make the case to pilot this low carbon social housing scheme.
“In an area like Northern Ireland where ultra-low energy construction is not the norm, our experience at Sunningdale has been a learning curve for everyone involved and a real opportunity for upskilling the industry in general.”
Caroline’s biggest influence on her chosen career path was her father, Joe Clayton an electrician who was born in Belfast and moved to Antrim in the 70’s with his wife Janet to start a family.
Caroline reflects, “My father’s joy of making things really followed through to my hobbies as a child.
“We spent time together building models and he taught me practical skills like how to read plans and use tools to create something new. I was always interested in how things fit together and loved building anything that had a practical use or that we could have fun playing with, like model airplanes.”
Very aware that construction is often considered a male-dominated industry Caroline, currently a Senior Principal Officer with Land and Regeneration for the Housing Executive, insists that this never put her off pursuing architecture as a career.
Caroline continues, “Construction in general is still a male-dominated industry, however, I think architecture has balanced out since I was a student.
“I would like to see more women across the whole of the construction industry and the many different professions and trades within it.”
Caroline said, “I have worked for the Housing Executive for 12 years. I started as an agency staff member having been made redundant during the recession in 2010. Prior to that I was in private practice for five years.
“My first Housing Executive job was to update our set of standard details. This was an excellent opportunity to gain experience in technical detailing.
“From there I worked my way up to my current role and have had the opportunity to work on some really interesting schemes.
“In 2018 I completed an energy improvement scheme in Newry to retrofit five properties with a view to exploring how we could do this at scale in the organization, and this really helped me to learn and develop professionally.
“Through this scheme we were able to apply retrofit solutions to many more houses, leading to the roll out of retrofit energy improvement measures to estates across Antrim including Greystone, Springfarm and Newpark.
“The learning from the Newry scheme is documented in the Housing Executive publication: Journey to Retrofit, that shares our experience and encourages other housing providers to consider retrofit measures.”
Caroline is extremely grateful to the Housing Executive for the opportunities it has given her to progress in her career.
She adds, “Not only have I developed as a person working in construction but also as a manager. I am very appreciative of just how much the organization promotes upskilling.
“I’ve gained some additional qualifications during my time here. The opportunity to focus and develop my knowledge in a way that benefits the organization and to explore my creative passions at the same time is really appreciated.”
From childhood, through her student years and to the present day her work ethic has fittingly aligned with the Housing Executive’s core values, one of which is, making a difference.
“The Housing Executive was never on my radar as a student as a place to work. I didn’t really understand what they did even though I grew up in a Housing Executive home.
“Now I am proud to say I work for them. While I do not have the same level of connection with tenants as patch managers and maintenance officers, I still see the benefit of my work daily in improving people’s homes and quality of life. That means a lot to me.
“I feel that the architectural and technical side of the Housing Executive is somewhat hidden and that people do not necessarily realize there is a large group of people working to provide and maintain safe, warm and comfortable homes.
“For any student architect out there it’s important to remember there are many options available to you, like the Housing Executive, to learn transferable skills that expand on the traditional architect’s role.
“I would love to see more young people working in the construction industry because, like me, I am confident they would discover a passion for the work once they see their ideas becoming a reality.
“I have been very fortunate with the projects I’ve worked on because I have been able to channel the passion I have had since a child - to fit all the pieces together to build something useful and tangible in the real world.”
