Inspire · Roma Agrawal 40 Laura ... MPhil in Exercise Physiology UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM MBA in Business Administration WARWICK BUSINESS SCHOOL Chief Executive NATIONAL ...

I N S P I R I N G T O M O R R O W ' S E N G I N E E R S ► C A R E E R PAT H S T O R I E SAbiga i l Teeka ram

Inspire

Julia Evans 04

Rebecca Hogg 06

Sebastian Syrjanen 08

Hadeel Saadoon 10

Ben Roberts 12

Stephen Foot 14

Nick Cullen 16

Divya Deepankar 18

Jon Woodard 20

Tim Rossington 22

Elliot Northmore 24

Michelle Agha-Hossein 26

George Adams 28

Jo Harris 30

Ceri Hobbs 32

Jack Dinnewell 34

Chris PounTney 36

Ben Johnston 38

Roma Agrawal 40

Laura Nolan 42

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English, Geography, HistoryA – LEVE L S

BA Hons in PsychologyUNIVERS I T Y OF SWANSEA

MPhil in Exercise Physiology

UNIVERS I T Y OF NOT T INGHA M

MBA in Business Administration

WARWICK BUS INE SS SCHOOL

Chief ExecutiveNATIONAL FE DER AT ION OF BU I LDERS Chief Executive

BSRIA

BSRIA aims to "Make Buildings Better" and without engineers of all sorts, this just wouldn't be possible.

Summarise what your career is about. As my career has been a bit itinerant, it’s diffi cult to fi nd just one thing, but I would say that most of what I do and have done is about people and how they work together and how to move and change organisations into better ways of working.

Are there any role models in engineering that you are inspired by?Really too many to mention but Ada Lovelace, a woman really ahead of her time.

What advice would you give to young people who are interested in pursuing a career in the construction and engineering industry?I wouldn’t give anyone career advice except to say that if you have a dream and the ambition to follow it then “Noli Umquam Desiste” which means (more or less) “never give up”.

How long have you been in your career for? I have had a number of roles in a wide variety of organisations both public and private sector, so really couldn’t say that I have had a single career in one thing. I have been in the construction and engineering sector for about 15 years and loved every minute of it.

What infl uenced your decision to join the construction and engineering industry? How did you become involved?

I got offered my fi rst CEO job in the sector and have been involved ever since. I did lots of other things before I came into construction and engineering for example General management, HR, estate management, in fact I would say for the kind of job I have that it’s more or less essential to have wide experience.

Julia Evans

Career Path

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76

Career Path Acoustic ConsultantACCOUNT UK LTD

BSRIAAcoustic consultant

Rebecca Hogg

Summarise what your career is about. My job title at BSRIA is an Acoustic Consultant and my role involves acoustic testing of heating, ventilation and air conditioning products, both in the laboratory and on site in order to determine the sound power level. Testing can be carried out on all different types of products including heat pumps, air conditioners, fan coil units, boilers, chillers, air handling units, valves and fans. I also carry out sound absorption testing of materials, such as wall and ceiling panels.

Have you undertaken any interesting projects?Yes! I’ve tested in rooms with temperatures down to -20°C (don’t forget to wear a hat!) and up to +40°C. I’ve stood on the roof of buildings in London and watched the sunrise (acoustic testing is sometimes outside normal hours!) and I’ve dealt with sheep, foxes and people singing karaoke into a microphone during environmental noise surveys.

What do you believe is the essential skillset for your career?You need to be good at problem solving and work well in a team. You also have to be prepared for the unexpected and be willing to adapt. Academically you need a good grasp of maths and physics, but you don’t have to go down the traditional A-level and university route to obtain the skills required.

What originally interested you about Acoustical Engineering? Why did you choose to study that at university? I wanted to study engineering and was looking at general mechanical engineering. While researching options I found out about acoustical engineer, which sounded much more interesting. I was drawn to the wide range of applications of acoustics and also the larger use of maths within this discipline of engineering, without studying a straight maths course.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of being an Acoustical Engineer?Variety. No two projects are the same and there is always something new to learn. Acoustics is not a stand-alone discipline and often involves working with others, so since starting my career I’ve learnt just as much, if not more, about non-acoustics as I have extended my knowledge of acoustics.

Career Path

A career in acoustics can mean going into so many different areas: environmental acoustics, building acoustics, underwater acoustics, electronics and audio engineering.

Maths and PhysicsA– LEVE L S

MEng in Acoustical EngineeringISRV, UNIVERS I T Y OF SOUTHA MPTON

Summer work placementACCOUNT UK LTD

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What inspired you to pursue a degree in architecture? I have been interested in the fi eld of architecture and design in general. I have wanted to be an architect for over 11 years now and so my path has been relatively direct.

Have you undertaken any interesting projects during university?We had to design a gallery space on the site of our university as one of our projects. It was interesting as we had to work with materials assigned to us along with building requirements and a restricted site. In China, it was great to work with students from around the world on masterplans and linking the buildings to the culture.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing a degree in architecture?Make sure that you defi nitely want to follow this career path as it requires years of persistence. Ensure you make an effort to experience architecture through different forms of media and keep your knowledge up to date as the fi eld is ever-changing. Ideally, choose a mixture of subjects that cover creative and scientifi c fi elds.

Which subjects did you study during your A-levels and why? I studied maths, physics and product design. Maths, as it is a very useful subject for most fi elds of work; physics, as it aids with understanding of materials, electronics and construction; product design, as it allowed me to continue to express creativity, understand design principles and practice model making and technical drawing.

What have you achieved? Which is the achievement you are most proud of?I have won design competitions entered by thousands of peo-ple. Additionally, my work at university has been consistently solid. Recently, I got a place on an architectural summer course in China and at the end was offered a part time job to design buildings and plan towns in China while studying at my university.

Sebastian Syrjanen

Architecture StudentUNIVERSITY OF BATH

Architecture (in course)UNIVERS I T Y OF BATH

Maths, Physics, Product designA– LEVE L S

The most enjoyable aspect of my degree so far is being allowed to design in your own style whilst being advised and supported by professionals. The diverse range of project types is also fantastic.

Career Path

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Architectural TechnologistCIAT bim manager

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY

What do your current projects require of you? For live projects I have to work with various teams including the architectural consultants, Building services and mechanical and electrical consultants, civil engineers and project managers. Each team works to provide a 3D model of their discipline and then we federate the models into one to run a clash detection. I work to ensure that we are getting the right asset information into our models to get the right building information at handover to facilitate the operation and maintenance of the Building.

Are there any role models in engineering that you have been inspired by? My role model is the late Iraqi-British architect Dame Zaha Hadid. I met her at her last lecture at the RIBA in February 2016 and thanked her for being such a wonderful inspiration to young people, especially female architects around the world and she was very happy and overwhelmed. She will always be my role model of success, dedication and talent.

Have you undertaken any interesting projects?Yes. I am currently working on a number of interesting projects for Coventry University including building a new Engineering and Computing Building, a new technology centre, student accommodation projects and refurbishment of existing buildings. The most interesting project I ever worked on previously was a pre-boarding zone for Dublin Airport. It was the fi rst project where we used Virtual Reality in BIM and design.

I advise young people to follow their dreams! There are a lot of career options in every speciality and everyone can fi nd something they are passionate about to be able to develop themselves.

MSc in Construction ManagementCOVE NTRY UNIVERS I T Y

BEng in Architectural EngineeringUNIVERS I T Y OF TECHNOLOGY

Maths, Physics, English, and ArtA – LEVE L S

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your career?Continuing to learn every day and being able to work with new technologies and using them to design, build and manage assets in a different way than it is used traditionally. I am responsible for introducing and managing the process of implementing new building information modelling and management solutions. I feel it is a huge responsibility but at the same time it is a wonderful opportunity to be at the forefront of digital transformation.

What inspired you to pursue Architectural Engineering at University? I was very much attracted to the Architecture Engineering course because it offers a wonderful mix of art and science. It requires a wide imagination which I had that helped me to develop design skills. It is also very technically challenging which I really love.

Hadeel Saadoon

Career Path

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BIM DeliveryleaderHOARE LEA

Executive Mechanical EngineerHOARE LEA

Graduate Mechanical EngineerHOARE LEA

BEng in Mechanical EngineeringUNIVERS I T Y OF PLYMOUTH

MSc in Energy and SustainableBuilding DesignDE MONFORT UNIVERS I T Y

Maths, Physics, Music, Media A – LEVE L S

Keep learning new things; during your career you will see totally new tools and processes that disrupt the industry and fundamentally change what we do, so make sure you’re always picking up new skills.

What inspired you to pursue your career?I’m passionate about environmental issues and could see a massive opportunity to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. I started out as a mechanical engineer and have diverted into running a centralised team of digital innovators. I wasn’t particularly into computers originally but have always sought more effi cient ways of working, so when new tools emerge I’m always keen to see if I can use them to save me having to do the boring stuff by hand!

When it comes to these major projects what is required of your role to ensure success within them?As an engineer, the most important aspects of my role has been the ability to communicate well with people across a range of technical understanding, being comfortable with reports, presentations, meetings, workshops and knowing which is the best format to communicate your ideas.

How do you see your career progressing in the future? I’m not sure where my career will take me next to be honest, but I hope to continue innovating, inspiring others, saving time and energy and improving the way we design the built environment. The main goal I have is to be able to design much lower impact buildings in signifi cantly less time, allowing space in our lives for more leisure and less work!

What have you achieved throughout your career? I delivered one of the fi rst mechanical, electrical and plumbing BIM projects in the UK (and even in the world!), back in 2010. It was working on this ward block when the contractor asked us to deliver the project using Revit (BIM Software) and as a BIM job. I saw an opportunity to do something differently, and grabbed it! I really enjoyed the challenge of pioneering something new, took advantage of automating calculations and schedules linked to my 3D model and drawing output.

Have you undertaken any other interesting projects?Yeah, loads!! I worked on the Olympic Village for London 2012, helped to design a converted power station in London, and contributed to quite a few schools and hospitals along the way too. My fi rst major project role was on a new ward block for the Bristol Royal Infi rmary; this was where I got started in Revit, worked with a great collaborative team, and got to infl uence things like a green roof, rainwater collection and solar PVs.

Ben Roberts

Career Path

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What are the desirable skills and abilities someone needs as a building control surveyor?Organisation, motivation, ambition and determination I believe these core attributes are vital to have as Building Control Surveyor to ensure you carry out your statutory duty effectively. Without optimising these attributes the job role and dependency from others will then be complicated thus making you unable to perform your duty and provide the service to the employer and members of the public which require this of you.

Can you describe some of the projects you have been involved in?The conversion of 10 floor office block into flats and formation of new multiscreen cinema including 4K screens. Both of these projects required me to conduct a full plan check to enable a set of approved building regulation compliant drawings to be issued.During this process, communica-tion and consultation had to be conducted with other domains such as the Fire Service. Regular inspections were conducted throughout construction phase to ensure compliance.

Stephen Foot

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your career?Surely, the variation of work I get involved in from normal domestic to dangerous structures. Domestic examples comprise of minor works such as removal of loadbearing walls to single and two storey extensions, whereas the more complex examples then diversify into new dwellings, new flats, conversions into flats and then into commercial units such as cinema and schools.Dangerous structure examples I have worked on are garden and boundary walls, tree collapses into dwellings, house and garage fires and ram raids on shops.

How did you find out about this career? Initially I found out about build-ing control via the interaction on construction sites. In the context of finding out my career I located trainee roles via job searching at the time of altering my career path from being on the tools.

Summarise what your career is about. I am Senior Building Control Surveyor who checks for building regulations compliance on a range of domestic and commer-cial projects. In addition to this I conduct enforcement works of the Building Regulations as well as attending and resolving dangerous structures. All projects require me to adhere to health and safety protocol, and adher-ing to all codes of conduct.

The importance of my career is to safe guard the client and members of the public by ensuring all buildings comply with the building regulations making our built environment a safe and functional environment to live in.

BRACKNELL FOREST BOROUGH COUNCILSenior Building Control Surveyor

Senior Building Control Officer

BR ACKNE LL FORE ST BOROUGH COUNCIL

Assistant Building Control Officer

BR ACKNE LL FORE ST BOROUGH COUNCIL

Trainee Building Control Officer

BR ACKNE LL FORE ST BOROUGH COUNCIL

HND in Construction and Built EnvironmentEAST BERKSHIRE COLLEGE

Career Path

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

Nick CullEn

Career Path

Outline what your career involves.I am now a Partner in an engineering consultancy. I have spent my whole career in the same firm from my undergraduate days to the present. I spent the first 11 years as a design engineer before moving to Research and Development which I now head up. I have worked on projects across the world and on research projects across many different subject areas.

What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?I was always fascinated by buildings and how they were constructed. However, the talk that Ted Happold gave at the Bath University open day inspired me. He had recently completed a project on the Vauxhall cross and talked about the complexity of the problems, having to coordinate works to avoid railway tunnels. I was hooked.

Have you undertaken any interesting projects yourself?I was the project leader on the BRIT School in Croydon which provides talented children with the skills to work on the performing arts. The project was reminiscent of the thinking behind the Pompidou centre with the structure configured to facilitate the maximum spatial flexibility. I was the lead project mechanical engineer responsible for the system design and specification, attending design meetings and when on site working with the mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractor.

It was not about complex mathematics (that came later) but about imagining solutions, something I have always enjoyed more than anything else.

You mentioned you’ve worked across the world on various projects – can you expand on this a bit more? I have had projects in both North and South America (Brazil), Russia (although I didn’t visit) and Switzerland. I also worked on a European research project where the team met at different European locations including a Greek island!

What are the desirable skills and abilities someone needs as a Building Services Engineer?Enthusiasm, patience and tolerance. The people you work with and for are important, so treat them with respect and give your all to your work. That said a balance between work and home life is very important. I also think the willingness to change and to learn new things is an important part of the engineer’s life. Lifelong learning and developing new skills are essential.

BSc Hons in Building Environmental Engineering

UNIVERS I T Y OF BATH

Biology, Maths, Physical ScienceA - LEVE L S

Design Engineer11 YEARS AT HOARE LEA

HOARE LEA

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Research EngineerBSRIA

MSc in Environmental Changeand Management

UNIVERS I T Y OF OXFORD

BEng in Civil EngineeringUNIVERS I T Y OF OSM ANIA, INDIA

Maths, Physics, ChemistryA – LEVE L S

The most enjoyable aspect of my career is working with people with creative ideas, and passion to solve problems.

Summarise your career and key roles.My career interests lie in striving to be in sync with the UN Sustain-able Development Goals while balancing the quest for profi t with a responsibility towards pub-lic good. Two key environmental issues in the infrastructure sector that concern me the most are Urban-isation, with the ever-increasing pressure on resources, and Energy security. As a researcher in the construction sector, our roles are to identify the new trends and help our clients make informed business and policy decisions.

construction fi rm. I specialised in residential projects doing estima-tions, costing and quantity survey-ing. Following this, I worked as a “Project Associate” at the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore coding the fracture behaviour of reinforced concrete beams used in rail construction bridges.

What do you believe is the essential skillset for your career?If I had to list the top 5: willingness to learn, strong technical ground-ing, adaptability, ability to foresee problems, and fl exibility.

Have there been any role models in engineering that you have been inspired by? I can say two: Sir Chandrase-khara Venkata Raman, a Phys-icist who conducted ground breaking research on scattering of light, and Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, the founder of ARUP.

At what point in your life did you realise you wanted to go into engineering? To me it was always about working in the environmental sciences sector. I would say the decision became clearer as I had to choose the subjects I wanted to take for A-Levels, so let’s say 15 years old.

Which career path did you take to begin pursuing this? I have been a full-time student at every stage studying in school, college and university.

I have, however, continuously done internships and short-term work experience relevant to my career interests during term-breaks. Since September 2015, I have been working at BSRIA as a “Research Engineer” in its Sustainable Construction Group.

Can you describe some of the work experience and internships you did? I started my career in 2013 intern-ing as a “Project Volunteer” at a Non-Governmental Organisation teaching best environmental practices across government schools in Hyderabad, India where I pursued my Bachelors degree and moved on to work as a “Management Trainee” at a

Career Path

Divya Deepankar

Work experience and internshipsAS PROJEC T VOLUNTE ER , PROJEC T ASSOCIATE ,

M ANAGE ME NT TR AINE E

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I take immense satisfaction from the whole aspect of my role; from providing project quotations, securing projects, coordinating, coaching engineers to deliver of technical reports and maintaining client relationships.

Describe what your career involves? Starting out as an electrician, I became an electrical validation engineer in the commissioning industry and now manage mechanical commissioning and mechanical, electrical and plumbing validation contracts in addition to business development/strategy activities.

head offi ce. Validation of 10 apartments at the top of the Shard. Commissioning of venti-lation systems serving chemistry laboratories for an international pharmaceutical company. Surveying a former Brewery site prior to de-commissioning.

What are the desirable skills and abilities someone needs as a Commissioning Engineer?Being dynamic, proactive and inquisitive. Understanding that you do not know everything, and probably never will but that someone will be able to support you.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing your career?Ask lots of questions and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone unless it means putting yourself physically at risk. If you want to be hands on, fi nd an apprenticeship and get stuck in.

What importance does your career serve within the built environment and in general?Installations are safe and compliant; intended design can be carried out cost effectively and with confi dence; mechanical systems are performing correctly and effi ciently; provide answers and solutions to complex building services problems.

Why did you choose to become a Commissioning Engineer? I come from a family of electri-cians but did not enjoy the life of a contractor, so decided to focus more on consultancy work. I was

offered opportunities with two commissioning consultancies (this was completely alien to me at the time) in 2015 and have been growing and learning every day since. Every day is a school day.

Have there been any interesting projects you have undertaken?Validating the high voltage generators located in a secret bunker that provide emergency support for all of the London based Parliament/Government buildings. Validating full land-lord’s infrastructure of No. 1 Poultry. Delivery of mechanical, electrical and plumbing vali-dation by direct appointment to Kenwood De’Longhi at their Jon Woodard

Electrical Validation EngineerBANYARDS

Contracts Manager for Electrical Activities

BANYARDS

Apprenticeship in commercial,retail, residential, social housing

BROMLEY COLLEGE

contracts managerElectrical activities

AIR-TECH PREMIERE

Career Path

20 21

Maths, Economics, PhysicsA – LEVE L S

BSc in Materials EngineeringUNIVERS I T Y OF B IR MINGHA M Service Delivery Manager

BSRIA

Compliance EngineerBSRIACareer Path

It is important to gain a high degree of knowledge in the area that you are interested, and gaining a broad fi eld of knowledge of related areas as they often tie in and give a greater understanding of the whole.

Summarise what your career is about. I am a Compliance Engineer specialising in Acoustic and Airtightness Testing. I maintain and improve standards in (predominantly) residential building. Initially as an acoustic engineer and then additionally as an air tightness tester, we ensure that new dwellings meet Building Regulations.

this difference, normalise it to the envelope area of the building, and compare the result against the design specifi cation. Sound tests involve using a sound source to generate noise and we measure the effects in an adjacent area to see whether the structure suffi ciently reduces the noise level. For ventilation we measure airfl ow rates to see whether enough ventilation is being provided.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your career?Solving problems. Doing a good job obviously provides some

satisfaction but really helping a client who may be having issues meeting their targets either acoustically or in terms of airtightness is great.

In your opinion what attributes and qualities are needed to be successful in your career?Problem solving/ logical thought.

What do your day-to-day tasks involve as a compliance engineer? We conduct air tightness, sound insulation and ventilation tests to confi rm requirements with the relevant Building Regulations. Each site can offer different challenges, dependent on the outcomes of the tests we perform. In the event of failures, we work closely with site operatives to show them how and where the tests have been failed, with the aim of assisting them in achieving the required standard and therefore a pass. Once we have fi nished

on site, we work closely with the administration team to ensure the client receives the required certifi cation to demonstrate compliance with the regulations.

Can you describe some of these tests that are performed?We conduct tests in accordance with the relevant test standards. The standards, usually approved by government, set out how we perform the tests and under what conditions we test. An airtightness test utilises a fan to create a pressure difference across the building, we measure the airfl ow required to generate

Tim Rossington

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Project EngineerLORNE STEWART GROUP

Graduate Electrical EngineerHYDROCK

MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

UNIVERS I T Y OF NOT T INGHA M

Physics, Electronics, MathsA – LEVE L S

Being an electrical engineer is fast paced, lots of problem solving. There is always plenty to do and lots going on, every day is a school day in construction.

Outline your career. What do your day-to-day tasks involve?I am an electrical engineer with-in the building services industry. I manage sub-contractor works and Contractor Design Portion (CDP) design elements of work including earthing, lightning protection, fi re alarm and smoke vent. I undertake design checks, review CDP and installation drawings. I also attend weekly design workshops with the main contractor, client and client design team – purpose being to bring issues to the forefront and assist in resolution.

Have there been any other interesting projects you have undertaken?I worked on the ABB Blyth Inter-connector project as part of a mechanical and electrical consultancy team and am cur-rently working on the prestigious 1 Palace Street project as part of this team as well. 1 Palace Street is a high-end residential redevelopment project adja-cent to Buckingham Palace. The site is to be served by two high voltage supplies with there being two UK Power Network switchrooms, two private high voltage switchrooms and three low voltage switchrooms.

In your opinion, what is the essential skillset for your career?Communication, problem solving, thick skin, technical knowledge.

Are there any role models in engineering you have been inspired by? Elon Musk, Nikola Tesla and George Stephenson.

Where did your interests in engineering and construction arise from? I grew up on a working farm and was involved in many ad hoc constructions, as such. I then developed an interest in engineering, construction and problem solving. I enjoyed electronics and physics at A-level, however, it was after university when I realised I actually wanted to join this industry.

What have you achieved throughout your career? Which is the achievement you are most proud of?Completing designs and managing contract packages. I worked on a number of projects as part of a building services design team, generally at a junior level and working with a senior engineer. Notable projects included: City College Plymouth STEM Building, National College for Nuclear, Beckley Court Student Residential development, Penvose Student Village and Rail Central (SRFI). I was also a lead electrical designer on an offi ce redevelopment in Cornwall.

Elliot Northmore

Career Path

24 25

Energy EngineerBSRIA

Research EngineerHALCROW GROUP

EngD in Sustainable Buildings

UNIVERS I T Y OF READING

BEng in Civil EngineeringUNIVERS I T Y OF SURREY

Maths, Physics, EnglishA – LEVE L S

Engineers can do anything. Problem solving is a main part of any engineer’s working day. I have also always been interested in sustainability and how that can make people and our planet happy.

like to take, a little bit of love for maths, physics/chemistry can help a lot.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing your career? Whichever engineering degree you study, graduates can fi nd interesting jobs in a variety of disciplines, from project management to design, installation and maintenance. You will never get bored.

on real world projects and interact with professionals in different disciplines helped me massively in my communication and management skills. I was involved in writing bids, project progress meetings, testing, data gathering and analysis, writing reports and doing presentations.

In your opinion what attributes and qualities are needed to be successful in your career? You need a keen eye for detail that allows you to get to the bottom of an issue and identify solutions. Depending on what engineering course you would

Outline your current profession as an Energy engineer.My career is to optimise buildings’ performance in terms of energy and occupant wellbeing. I provide consultancy on how buildings can perform better to keep both indoor and outdoor environment healthy and sustainable. In addition, I work on many different types of projects, and provide consultancy services to our clients and I also do research and write publications. Some days, I am in the offi ce working on projects and other days I am out meeting with our clients.

When did you realise you wanted to be an engineer? What prompted this decision? When I was about 10 I realised my passion for maths and later on, physics. Since then I knew I would do a Maths or Physics-related degree at university. Despite all the discouragements from my parents (as they really wanted me to do medicine and would always tell me engineering was for boys!), I undertook a degree in civil engineering and then an Engineering Doctorate degree sponsored by an industrial organisation. The Doctorate degree and the Dr. title made my parents happy to some extent!

Where did your interest in sustainability arise from? My undergraduate dissertation topic was about the viability of the timber frame method of construction for student accommodations. Sustainability was one of the main parts of my dissertation. Since then, I realised the importance of considering sustainability in everything we do.

You mentioned you worked for an industrial organisation during your Doctorate. What skills and experience did you gain from this? I worked 75 percent of my time at my sponsor company’s offi ce. Having the opportunity to work

Career Path

Michelle Agha-Hossein26 27

Hons Degree in Environmental Engineering

SOUTHBANK E NGINE ER ING UTC

Other work experiences*

*Other work experiencesDE SIGN AND BU I LD PROJEC TS

GROUP M ANAGER FOR D&B PROJEC TS

BUS INE SS DEVE LOPME NT IN E UROPE

PF I HOSPI TAL DEVE LOPME NTS

HEATHROW AIRPORT TER MINAL 5

National Engineering Certifi cate

SOUTHGATE COLLEGE

Craft apprenticeshipHACKNEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Physics, EngineeringA – LEVE L S Director of Engineering

SPIE UK

Engineering makes things happen, it designs and builds things we need, provides safety and comfort, go for it, grasp it and make your success.

Outline what your career involves as an Environmental Engineer? The real fun is taking a problem or a challenge, using science and maths to establish the engi-neering scope and then turning that into something the factory or site teams can construct. Then to follow that through in how to best to set up and operate an engineering system that brings a building alive and makes it usable. Learning how to do this across different facilities (such as Formula 1 car manufac-turing, complex hospitals and

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing your career?Engineering for the built environ-ment is not static or repetitive. It is a mixture of engineering systems, technology, design, human needs and energy conservation. It makes buildings come to life with light, clean air, comfort conditions, security and a safe environment. It is a chal-lenge of imagination, applica-tion of sciences and planning for both cost and time. It is exciting, sometimes it really stretches you

and gives you an opportunity to open up your mind and think for innovation and technology.

In your opinion what attributes and qualities are needed to be successful in your career?Looking back, I would say a reasonable grasp of science and maths, imagination, vision, confi dence, honesty and dedication.

high quality hotels) for satisfi ed occupants, affordability and functionality for the owners is a fascinating mix of hard engi-neering and human comfort.

What made you specialise in Environmental Engineering at University? I was intrigued by the com-bination of hard engineering solutions coupled with a di-rect relationship with the more emotional issues of comfort and wellbeing of people. I studied Environmental Engi-neering at Southbank London which included collaborative

projects with other disciplines, innovative methods of design assessments and the optimisa-tion of building performance.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your career?There are so many aspects. From working in collaborative design teams, to creating functional innovations to building up solutions that not only can be built but that operate successfully. Energy conservation has always been a big feature in my work. The most exciting project was the Heathrow Terminal 5 with energy saving and a huge program of large scale modularised engineering packages.

George Adams

Career Path

28 29

Chair of the Maintenance Task Group

CIBSE

Controls and Project Engineer

ELI LILLY & CO.

You get to work anywhere and everywhere with your skills moving from one organisation to another which can range from charities and the NHS to banks and computer data centres and from one country to another.

Summarise what your career entails.Facilities management is about ensuring the buildings that people occupy support their needs, keeping occupants safe, warm and productive. We operate the buildings their staff work from and provide the support for any changes in those buildings.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in facilities management? I wanted to do something prac-tical – I didn’t want to sit in an offi ce all day. The apprenticeship

Were there any challenges you faced throughout your career? How did you overcome them?The challenge for me has been overcoming an unconscious bias of women working in a male dominated industry of maintenance. To overcome this you have to prove yourself over and over. For me, creating an industry profi le through the authoring of the guides and making presentations at semi-

nars has ensured people know my name before we meet, then I just have to live up to the name.

What attributes and qualities do you believe are needed to be successful as a facilities manager?Problem solving and a sense of wanting to help others. To be a good problem solver you need to understand the basics and question what you see and what is happening to fi nd the root cause of the problem and see past just the quick fi x.

opened up opportunities to work in other environments like facto-ries and construction sites.

Where did you complete your apprenticeship and how long for? What made you choose this route to your current role?I completed my apprenticeship at Mars Confectionery. It was a four year apprenticeship programme in the maintenance department that supported the factories and sweet production. I started this when I was 16 straight from school and I only went

for two apprenticeships – Mars Confectionery or British Airways engineering. There was no back up plan; I just knew I didn’t want to be at school any more.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your career?The satisfaction of a job well done where I’ve helped other people, improved their environment or created something new.

Jo Harris

Career PathBSc in Electronics with

ManagementUNIVERS I T Y OF WE ST LONDON

Controls engineerNATIONAL PHYS ICAL L ABOR ATORY

Facilities engineerINTE L

Principal ConsultantBSRIA

MSc in Facilities ManagementREADING UNIVERS I T Y

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Managing DirectorGeotechnical engineerC. HOBBS ASSOCIATES LTD

Graduate EngineerSTE NT FOUNDAT IONS

BSc Hons in Civil Engineering

POLY TECHNIC OF WALE S

Thin Engineering Sandwich Course

I enjoyed physics and maths at school and wanted a career in Engineering and the idea of working outdoors led me to taking up Civil Engineering.

Outline what your career involves. I design and manage specialist foundation engineering pro-jects. Geotechnical engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction and main-tenance of the physical and naturally built environment.

What inspired you to pursue your career? I enjoyed physics and maths at school and wanted a career in Engineering and the idea of working outdoors led me to tak-ing up Civil Engineering. During my fi nal year sandwich place-

Have you undertaken any other interesting projects?I was retained to resolve construction and design problems on the foundations for the new radiation shelter at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine. I was also the bid Director of the station boxes for the Crossrail project and bid manager for the Thames Tideway shafts at Barking Reach.In Australia I was the regional Director responsible for the bids on the Roy Hill mine development and introduced the concept of circular diaphragm walls to Western Australia.

Are there any role models in engineering you have been inspired by? Brunel for his ability to design and construct complex civil engineering structures with a strong reliance on the observational approach.

ment, I worked with Balfour Beat-ty’s ground engineering business “Stent” and was employed directly by them on graduation.

What have you achieved throughout your career?I have successfully managed numerous departments in geotechnical engineering companies followed by the establishment, growth and sale of my own piling and engineering business. I have also designed a three-storey offi ce development during training for my Chartered Engineering status.

Can you describe what designing the three-storey offi ce development was like?I was on secondment to Trevor Crocker and Partners of Leeds on from my employer “Stent Foundations”. This was to gain design experience to meet the requirements of the Institutions rules for Chartered Membership. The building was an “L” shaped offi ce on a combination of piled and conventional foundations as it was positioned over the edge of an old quarry. The frame was concrete with a steel mansard roof. The ground fl oor was ground bearing and the fi rst and second fl oors were fl at slab construction to minimise the height of the building.Ceri Hobbs

Other work experiences*

*Other work experiencesPIL ING D IREC TOR MORGAN S INDALL

STATE M ANAGER AT AVOPIL ING PT Y LTD

BUS INE SS DEVE LOPME NT AT BE LPI LE P T Y LTD

E NGINE ER D IREC TOR AT ALT IUS GOC

Career Path

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Heating and Ventilation EngineerHeating and Ventilation

Engineering ApprenticeshipNG BAILEY

Heating and VentilationNVQ LEVE L 2 AND LEVE L 3

LE E DS COLLEGE OF BU I LD ING

MilitaryROYAL NAVY

Every day is different from the last which is good and I’m constantly learning all the time whilst enjoying my job.

Describe what your career is about.As a heating and ventilation engineer, I tend to be based more on the installation side of industrial sites. This involves installing various systems and pipework in buildings that can either help to heat them up or cool them down. These systems include radiators and air-conditioning, and we also cover hot and cold water for toilets and sinks etc.

Are there any challenges you face throughout your career? How do you overcome them?When working on a project it can be numerous things from installation to maintenance and include issues such as leaking pipes or systems not working. The biggest way to overcome this is the ability to learn and try to gain as much experience as you can whilst also being very adaptable to situations.

What are the desirable skills and abilities someone needs as a Heating & Ventilation Engineer?Safety forms an important part of project work. This includes mak-ing sure the area I’m working in is safe, all my tasks are carried out in a safe manner and also considering the safety of others on site. Having an eye for detail is necessary, as well as working to a high standard. I also think perse-verance is essential and having a willingness to see a job through to the end. And fi nally, always being willing to listen and learn new things, you never know how useful they may be in the future.

What inspired you to pursue this career? After leaving school I was unsure on what career path to take and ended up joining the armed forces. After serving my time I decided to pursue another career path and decided a more “hands on” role would be best suited to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much experience to just walk into a job that would suit my needs, so while looking at apprenticeships I came across a heating and ventilation apprenticeship with NG Bailey. This sounded ideal for me.

Have you completed any interesting projects? I’ve worked on a whole range of different and interesting projects but one that stands out for me was a project at Harewood House, a renowned attraction near Leeds. The project was very early in my apprenticeship and offered a great opportunity for me to learn and gain experience from both the work being undertaken and others on site. It was great for my development and skill set to witness an older system being transformed and updated. It involved traditional engineering methods and this was the fi rst time I’d used these on a project.

Jack Dinnewell

Career PathNG BAILEY

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MEng in Mechanical Engineering

UNIVERS I T Y OF BR ISTOL

Graduate EngineerFABER M AUNSE LL

MSt in Interdisciplinary Designfor the Built Environment

UNIVERS I T Y OF CA MBRIDGE

Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Design Technology

A – LEVE L S

Gap yearFABER M AUNSE LL

ARUP

AssociateMechanical engineer

The variety of work in the built environment has always kept me interested. Often analytical skills are needed, but I’d say that it is vital to be able to relate to others at a personal level

Outline your career. What do your day-to-day tasks involve?I help embed sustainability in the design of the built environment. My day-to-day tasks involve data analytics, including developing models of energy systems and carbon emission reduction strategies.

What made you decide to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering? I was inspired by the example of the enthusiastic team I worked with during my gap year af-

project objectives. Usually this involves some preliminary work to scope the key sustainability issues and understand the most effective actions.

What are the desirable skills and abilities someone needs for you career?Often analytical skills are needed, but I’d say that it is vital to be able to relate to others at a personal level. The ability to listen is important too. I think it is also really helpful to be able to present ideas clearly to groups of people, even though this can be nerve-wracking at times.

What advice would you give to young people who are interested in pursuing your career?Try to get as much experience in as many different disciplines. The variety of work in the built environment has always kept me interested. Developing digital skills is as important as ever and I’ve found that a little bit of personal investment can bring great benefi ts to projects and open up unexpected opportunities.

ter leaving school. I worked in the Applied Research team in Building Engineering at Faber Maunsell and during that year I began to learn how to code, how to think logically and I gained a detailed understanding of build-ing energy modelling. I also saw engineers who used an analytical approach to improve building design through careful thought and sustainable solutions.

What importance does your career serve within the built environment and in general?Sustainability has been a buzzword over the past decade, but it really does affect every aspect of the built environment.

Currently, my emphasis is on helping cities develop strategies that build sustainability into their future plans. So, this is important in some respect, but there are many others delivering sustainable solutions at the scale of components, systems, buildings and districts.

Within your role how do you ensure you achieve sustainability in the built environment?Sustainable outcomes require an engaged client and a collaborative design team. This means that I try and get involved as early as possible to help shape the client aims and

Chris PounTney

Career Path

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Chillers and Air conditioning have a wide variety of works within such as electrics, plumbing, air movement, water movement and working on pressurized systems

Summarise what your career is about. I am the Operations Director for a Fluid Chiller Specialist and Air Conditioning company. I run a team of 22 engineers across London, The South and Midlands. Our daily works range from the maintenance of small air conditioning units through to the replacement of large 1mv chillers. I work closely with my team and our clients to ensure that we provide a professional and well managed service.

down a path that I had never expected to go down because I can’t see the colours red or green very well. Up to this time of my life I had very little interest in engineering.

Have you undertaken any interesting projects?Klimatec Ltd have installed some of the most diffi cult to access chillers in the UK which were seven fl oors underground and the chillers were built in situ back in the 1970s and we had the honour of replacing them. We have completed projects inside the Tower of London, St Marys Axe and numerous other high profi le sites.

In your opinion what attributes and qualities are needed to be successful in your career?You need to be technically savvy and understand the process of what we do as engineers. However, the most important qualities are humility and perspective. Everyone makes mistakes, it’s human nature and as long as everyone goes home in the same shape that they started the day everything else can be dealt with or fi xed accordingly.

What importance does your career serve within the built environment and in general?We supply temperature control from the smallest security guards’ offi ce up to the biggest data centres in the UK. We aim to provide and deliver a service around the needs of the critical environment. Without companies like ourselves the built environment wouldn’t be climate controlled and the average offi ce space would be a very stuffy place to work.

What inspired you to pursue your career? I had always wanted to go into the Royal Navy from a young age. When I got through to the interview process I originally wanted to join the warfare branch (basically weapons etc.), however, at the medical stage I was informed that due to being colour blind I could only join the marine engineering branch. I completed a six month secondment in the refrigeration section on my last ship when a colleague said he had been on the C&G2078 course and managed to get a job in a week. I completed the same course and managed to get a job at Lennox Industries a week later. So bizarrely I was guided Ben Johnston

Career Path Klimatec LtdLennox IndustriesC&G 2078 Refrigeration Course

Marine Engineering TrainingROYAL NAVY

KLIMATEC LTD

Operations DirectorRefrigeration and Air conditioning

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Career PathMaths, Further Maths,

Physics, Design TechnologyA – LEVE L S

MA Hons in PhysicsUNIVERS I T Y OF OXFORD

MSc in Structural Engineering

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF LONDON

Structural EngineerWSP

Structural EngineerINTERSERVE CONSTRUC T ION Structural Engineer

AECOM

I’m most proud of the day when I fi rst stood on L87 of The Shard. That was years of design work coming to fruition and what engineering is about for me – changing things, making things.

Outline what your career involves as a Structural Engineer.I joined AECOM about 15 months ago and am working in the structures team in London. I have been involved in a variety of projects during my 12 year career from footbridges to sculptures and apartment blocks to skyscrapers, including The Shard. My work days are a mixture of having meetings with other engineers and designers, speaking to different departments around my company and working with my team on projects and also bids for new work.

In your opinion what attributes and qualities are needed to be successful in your career?Technical skills are important but it is also vital you can work well with people. Engineering and construction are about creating things for people, and any structure requires the input of 1000s in order to become reality. I also think being good at drawing is helpful, so you can communicate quickly and effectively with the team!

Are there any role models in engineering you have been inspired by? I’m a big fan of Emily Roebling who is the daughter-in-law of John Roebling, the original engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. After John tragically died and his engineer son Washington suffered from illnesses related to being on site, she studied engineering and ran the construction site for eleven years and even won the respect of the workers and politicians she dealt with. All at a time when people still believed that women were less evolved than men and so our brains were not developed enough to understand complex engineering.

What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering? I loved physics and maths and wanted a career where I could use my technical skills to make real things. During a work experi-ence placement at university with mechanical engineers, I realised that engineering was the career for me and I did a masters in struc-tural engineering after complet-ing my undergraduate degree in physics. I chose to specialise in structures because I had a child-hood fascination with skyscrapers so it seemed like a great fi t.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the projects you have been involved in? What was it like being involved in the Shard? I’ve worked on a sculpture, rail-way station, a footbridge, heaps of new housing and a couple towers. The variety has been brilliant. Working on The Shard is an almost one in a career opportunity, it was immense fun, technically challenging and hugely rewarding.

Roma Agrawal40 41

I had a passion for low carbon design and renewable technologies and wanted to keep learning more.

Describe what your career entails.I help design low carbon and energy effi cient buildings, I provide advice and carry out calculations to determine the best technologies to choose for each individual project. I provide a service to help clients achieve their Building Regulations and Local Authority planning requirements.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing your career? I think work experience is a brilliant way to try and gain an understanding of a profession. I believe most companies would be more than willing to give a young person an opportunity to take part in some work experi-ence in the hope of encourag-ing them into the profession.Second to that, choosing sub-jects such as Maths, Physics and Applied Maths for example will assist with studying at University.

In your opinion what are the desirable skills and abilities someone needs as a Sustainability Engineer? I think you need to be interested and motivated with a passion to do well. It is a career which requires effective communication, teamwork and continuous learning. It helps to be organised too!

What is the most enjoyable aspect of being a Senior Sustainability Engineer?I enjoy the diversity of my role; no two days are the same. My role can vary from energy strat-egies to local authority queries, sustainability reports, Energy Performance Certifi cates, time management and prioritising work to meet deadlines for example. In addition, each project is unique and requires a different approach.

Have you faced any challenges throughout your career? If so, how did you overcome them? After completing my degree in Building Services, I assumed I would become a mechanical design engineer. However, when I spent more and more time working in the fi eld ofsustainability, I was really enjoy-ing it, so I decided to specialise in sustainability. I found this decision a challenge but I took some time to work in both areas as a graduate so that I felt I was making an informed decision.

Laura Nolan

Career Path Senior Sustainability EngineerCUDD BENTLEY CONSULTING

Maths, Technical Drawing, Chemistry

A – LEVE L S

BEng Hons in Building Services Engineering

DUBLIN INST I TUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Graduate EngineerCUDD BE NTLEY CONSULT ING

Sustainability EngineerCUDD BE NTLEY CONSULT ING

MSc in Renewable Energy, Technology and Sustainability

UNIVERS I T Y OF READING

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Engineering, where we turn imagination into reality

Old Bracknell Lane West, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 7AHT: 01344 465 600E: [email protected]: www.bsria.co.UK