Meet our team
We’re your local experts in planning and managing smarter home upgrades. Based in Oxfordshire, we combine independent advice with trusted local knowledge to help you make your home work better.
We take a whole?house approach to retrofit – the process of improving an existing home – by looking at how your home performs as a complete system rather than as a set of separate fixes.
Our team works with you from first ideas to finished improvements, making sure the right steps happen in the right order so your home is warmer in winter, cooler in summer, and more comfortable all year round.
Geordie Stewart
Cosy Homes Oxfordshire Scheme Manager
A skilled construction and project manager with over 25 years of international experience, Geordie is passionate about sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for homes and buildings. He is a trained Retrofit Coordinator and leads the Cosy Homes Oxfordshire team based in Charlbury, Oxfordshire.
Geordie earned a distinction in his MSc in Architecture and Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) and the University of East London.
Gareth Lewis
Retrofit Coordinator
With two decades in telecoms, including a pioneering role at Apple’s iPhone team in 2007, Gareth Lewis decided on a career change, driven by personal conviction and a desire to combat climate change.
Gareth earned an MSc with Merit in Sustainable Energy Provision and Demand Management from the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in 2021, focusing on energy usage in buildings. Post-Masters, Gareth founded a local energy survey report company, similar to Cosy Homes but on a smaller scale.
At Cosy Homes, Gareth serves as a qualified Retrofit Coordinator, overseeing all aspects of retrofitting, ensuring quality through contractor collaboration, site visits, and rigorous quality control, and is dedicated to creating sustainable, energy-efficient living spaces and making a positive impact in the fight against climate change.
Rob Gittins
Retrofit Coordinator
Rob is a qualified architect with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. Over the past 12 years, he has led projects across education, healthcare, and community sectors, including Stansfeld Park Science and Innovation Centre, Meadowbrook College, and Rosehill Community Centre. As a Certified Passive House Consultant, he is passionate about sustainable design and the careful retention and retrofitting of existing buildings.
Lina Budde-Manning
Project Administrator
Lina has been involved in the sustainable construction industry for over a decade, starting with a role at the wood fibre manufacturer Pavatex. She has extensive knowledge of sustainable building practices and applies her expertise at Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, where she supports the team in delivering energy-efficient home improvements.
Arantxa Mathias
Project Administrator & Retrofit Advisor
Arantxa has been part of the Cosy Homes team for the last 5 years. Previously working in the creative industry in project and client coordination she now enjoys guiding clients through our retrofit consultancy services and supporting them to implement their retrofit plans to their homes
She is a qualified Retrofit Advisor under PAS 2035 and continues to enhance her retrofit knowledge working alongside the team.
David O’Neill
Membership and Supply Chain Manager (RetrofitWorks)
David is responsible for building up and supporting our membership network of trusted contractors, installers, and architects to provide a quality whole-house retrofit service.
David’s relationship with RetrofitWorks (RW) spans almost a decade. Although he is a qualified Gas Safe engineer, RW inspired him to adopt a whole-home approach to retrofitting. He is now also a qualified Retrofit Coordinator.
Among many other projects, David managed the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project at RW, funded by BEIS, successfully installing 742 heat pumps in diverse housing types despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and has also been supporting his colleagues in delivering the £43 million Warmer Homes Programme.
David is inspired by Cosy Homes Oxfordshire’s commitment to improving home comfort and energy performance through quality and trust in our members.
Cathy Ryan
Community Engagement Manager
Cathy is the Community Engagement Manager for Low Carbon Hub and supports our Cosy Homes Community Advocate Groups by attending events and holding regular meetings.
Having previously worked with a theatre company exploring the effects of homelessness on the lives of young people, Cathy has developed a lasting interest in housing. She is Chair of Hook Norton Community Land Trust, developing a community-led housing project of affordable, sustainable homes.
Christian Guthier
Senior Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Christian Guthier is a seasoned communications professional with extensive experience. He supports marketing and communications activity for Cosy Homes Oxfordshire across all online and offline channels, focusing on how individuals and communities can make a difference for the environment while improving their homes.
Tim Lunel
Project Manager for Cosy Homes Oxfordshire
Tim is an experienced project manager. He was Chief Executive of The National Energy Foundation 2005-2012, and is Chair of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme – so he has been working in the home energy sphere for much of his career. During that time, the technologies to improve the fabric of buildings and low carbon technologies have improved significantly, and the UK has made progress in decarbonising its grid.
Tim is the Treasurer of Hook Norton Community Land Trust and has led the project to get planning permission for 12 new-build PassivHaus homes. He is the Company Secretary of Hook Norton Low Carbon Limited – a low carbon community group that was awarded the status of Energy Neutral Village in 2014 in the ACE Awards (Academy of Champions for Energy), one of Europe’s most high-profile events that recognise achievements in renewable and sustainable community energy.
Russell Smith
Founder of RetrofitWorks and Parity Projects, and Cosy Homes Oxfordshire project partner
Russell is a chartered civil engineer with years of experience in retrofitting. He is the founder of both Parity Projects (leading exponents of retrofit expertise for larger-scale approaches) and RetrofitWorks.
He has led numerous large-scale retrofit programmes – most recently the £4.5m Warmer Homes programme on behalf of the Mayor of London, and is involved in a 250 heat pump roll-out for OVO energy. As Managing Director of Parity Projects, he has worked with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to model 1.5 million homes and develop a national retrofit model to support the Construction Leadership Council’s plans for a National Retrofit Programme.
Widely recognised as an industry expert, Russell is a regular speaker at conferences and a contributor to industry publications. Take a look at the RetrofitWorks LinkedIn posts for links to his latest interviews, articles and podcasts.
Contact us
Have a question for us? Call 0330 223 2742 or fill in our quick contact form, and a member of our team will get back to you shortly. Let’s find the right next step for your home.