What did you study and where?

MEng Mechanical Engineering with a year in industry at Loughborough University, England.

Why did you choose the Arup graduate programme?

Having grown up in Cardiff, I had heard of the local Arup office but did not know much beyond that. Whilst searching for graduate opportunities, Arup’s diverse portfolio of iconic buildings across a variety of different sectors, commitment to sustainability and collaborative approach to design presented an opportunity I had to pursue. Whilst travelling after graduation, I was fortunate enough to visit some of the impressive buildings that Arup have helped to shape, including the Sydney Opera House and the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore, which further confirmed my decision to join Arup.

What do you get up to in your day-to-day role?

This varies significantly, and my time is split between the office and the sites where my projects are based. My role as a design engineer means that I could be in the office writing Technical Specifications, Low Zero Carbon reports or progress notes to clients. I may be performing calculations to inform what size equipment a building needs, and then implementing the results in our 3D models to make sure everything fits. We have lots of multi-disciplinary team meetings and equipment manufacturers help us deliver a co-ordinated and practical design. We rely on Building Information Modelling (BIM) to produce layout drawings, schematic drawings and equipment schedules which are ultimately sent to contractors to help purchase, install and commission the equipment.

For a new building, I frequently visit sites for client team meetings and to monitor the progress of works being completed. This involves producing snagging reports, acoustic testing and witness testing to make sure what is installed works as intended.

For existing buildings, I may attend site to carry out a condition survey of the building/services or utilise our 3D laser scanner (LIDAR) to capture a high precision, real world visualisation of the building. This is then used to recreate a digital model of the building so that we can co-ordinate new services to be installed.

“

Recently
I’ve worked on the new HMRC offices as part the Central Square development in
Cardiff. It’s a great feeling to walk down the street and see a building you’ve
helped design. ”

What has been your most enjoyable moment / project so far?

Recently I’ve worked on the new HMRC offices as part the Central Square development in Cardiff. It’s a great feeling to walk down the street and see a building you’ve helped design. However, over the past 2 years I have been heavily involved with the refurbishment of an aircraft maintenance hangar. Originally designed to maintain B-747 aircraft only, our team of Structural, Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (SMEP) engineers worked closely to convert it into a flexible hangar to maintain a wide variety of aircraft. Having started as a set of drawings, it was very satisfying to see the first B-777 aircraft brought into the hangar and see the staff working on the plane, utilising the new structures and systems we had designed.

What are your future aspirations?

To continue broadening my knowledge of building services, working on a variety of different buildings and eventually lead a large multi-disciplinary project, whether at home or abroad at one of Arup’s many offices around the world. I thoroughly enjoy the collaborative nature of our work and our use of BIM to help us deliver energy and cost-efficient solutions to our clients. I believe we can utilise the data from existing buildings to help drive us to make more efficient design choices and advances in technology and automation will help us to optimise the design workflow.

What do you do to give back to the community?

Arup encourage staff to give back through the community engagement programme. As a STEM ambassador I visit schools to give talks and run mini design projects to encourage pupils to pursue a career in STEM related subjects.

I have also been involved in a number of fund-raising events, including a 200 mile charity bike ride over 18000ft elevation from the Peak District to Cardiff! We raised over £10k for the Engineers For Oversees Development, a charity created in Wales with the aim to deliver engineering projects that improve the health, hygiene, education and self-sufficiency of poverty afflicted communities in a sustainable manner.

What has surprised you about Arup?

The variety of work and the level of responsibility given to graduates and apprentices. Although all of our work is checked by senior engineers, we really do get the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’. I started working on small buildings/systems and now I’m in a position where I lead design packages, interact with clients/contractors directly and delegate work to junior members of the team. It’s a lot of responsibility and it demonstrates the level of trust Arup have in their graduates, but it’s reassuring to have an experienced engineer oversee your work.

I’ve been fortunate to travel around the UK and abroad, including a trip to Sweden during my manufacturers placement to learn more about the amount of research and development that goes into the equipment we specify.

The number of socials on offer has been great to develop working relationships. In my 2 years since joining Arup, I’ve been on an activity weekend in West Wales, skied with my colleagues in France, attended Rugby games with clients and enjoyed black tie dinners in Cardiff Castle.