Interview CIBSE president
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The outside lighting for > body in bringing together strands of building services we want is for people to [look at] CIBSE and see
London’s Tower Bridge is
that aren’t currently represented within the institution: sustainability. Traditionally, people thought of CIBSE
one of Mike Simpson’s
“That’s not to say we want to take everybody over. We as [representing] people who put wires and pipes in
former projects
need to bring in people who’ve got those specialities a building. I’d like people to see CIBSE as the guys
that cover perhaps wider fields but also encompass who are all about delivering sustainable buildings and
buildings, so that we can start to integrate and bring environments for people to live and work in.”
in the whole building services field together in one The size and scope of CIBSE is also something
organisation.” Simpson sees as a strength, compared with other larger
The institution also has the opportunity to take institutions that can become too diverse. “Most larger
the sustainability and energy efficiency agenda from institutions are a collection of smaller institutions
the commercial building sector into the domestic under one banner. We could grow from 20,000
arena, says Simpson. The challenge, however, comes members to 100,000, and we would become large,
in applying the equipment designed to run in a but ultimately I don’t think we would be serving our
commercial building, and getting manufacturers to members.
produce domestic versions and training the installers “Maybe we’ll start to attract other people involved
in the new technology. “I suspect if you give the average in the building environment, not to jump ship but for
People thought
plumber a heat pump they would probably look at it them to come and share [their experience with us]. The
and scratch their head.” future of the institution is not just for people who only
of CIBSE as
Simpson believes it will take 10 years to get the domestic do services but for those whose job touches on building
people who put sector ready, but he doesn’t feel that it’s necessary to services as part of their general remit.
wires and pipes
embark on a PR campaign to educate the public about “Maybe in the future [CIBSE] won’t be an
what building services engineers are, and what they organisation only for the building services engineer,
in a building.
do. However, he adds, there might be a case for raising but one that encompasses a whole range of different
I’d like them CIBSE’s profile among other UK and international professions that touch on the building environment.”
to see it as the
organisations dealing specifically with the sector. This might mean, Simpsons argues, that more
Simpson admits that, in the past, building services societies and special-interest groups will form within
guys who deliver
engineers may have been overshadowed by architects, CIBSE, incorporating these other elements that aren’t
sustainable but he insists that the tide is changing: the drive for currently linked into the institution – “like a one-stop
buildings and
sustainability means that engineers are beginning to shop for all the things that go into buildings, trying to
work with architects at the concept stage. draw all these professions together”.
environments to
As regards the branding of CIBSE itself – a He adds: “[The societies and groups] probably tend
live and work in contentious issue for some – Simpson says: “What to operate in isolation from each other at the moment. >
28 CIBSE Journal May 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEmay09 pp26-28, 30 interview.indd 28 5/1/09 2:57:59 PM
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