Interview Graduate engineers
New crop oozes
green ambition
Six young engineers were shortlisted for this year’s CIBSE/ASHRAE
Graduate of the Year Award. They tell Carina Bailey about their hopes
for their careers and for the future of building services engineering
Emma Marshall, graduate engineer at Seeing that put into practice by the engineers I met as
RPS Gregory, Newcastle a sixth-form student inspired me to pursue a career as
Emma Marshall has always had an an engineer.
interest in the built environment, but Pountney’s personal ambition is to continue
she says it wasn’t until an open day at developing technical solutions to the problems
Northumbria University that she caused by climate change: ‘Currently we have a lot of
d i s c o v e r e d b u i l d i n g s e r v i c e s independent technology used by different people, at
engineering. ‘My personal ambition is to make a different stages in the life of a building. The key to a
difference in the construction field in terms of better built environment will be the integration of these
sustainability, and to become a low-carbon consultant technologies, along with comprehensive, practical
in the future, as I feel this will help me to make engineering experience.’
significant improvements in the way we design and As regards the recession, Pountney believes the
operate buildings, both here in the UK and reduction in graduates as a result will continue to
internationally,’ Marshall says. ‘show itself over the coming years’, with fewer young
‘I hope to excel in the field of building services engineers being employed and the training and
engineering and boost the image of this engineering development of those in work continuing to reduce.
I would like
discipline, encouraging more young people to choose ‘As an industry, it is vital that our skills base continues
it as a career path. The number of women within the to increase so that we are properly equipped as the
to be able to
field has increased over the years but I would like to economy recovers in the longer term,’ he says. ‘We
encourage more
be able to encourage more young women to get into have been fortunate that public sector new build work
young women
the profession.’ has continued, although whether this is sustainable
And despite only recently joining the profession, beyond next year’s general election is unclear.
to get into our
she has some clear ideas about where problems in ‘The legislative pressure driving us towards a
profession –
the industry lie, including: too few incentives for the low-carbon economy continues to generate more and
award winner
industry to make significant improvements in building more work for the industry, both in existing and in
design; too high costs leading to value engineering; new build, which despite differing from more
Emma Marshall
and not enough support from government for the traditional work streams, needs to be adopted and
necessary change in energy consumption. encouraged.’
Marshall believes that economic recovery in building
services is not likely to be for some time yet. ‘The industry Francis Li, engineer at Buro Happold, London
is still in decline and I fear it will still be a number of Francis Li has been interested in solving
years until it is fully operational once again.’ problems and making things since he
was a school kid. His interest in
Chris Pountney, graduate engineer, architecture and urban development
sustainability – building engineering, at grew as he got older and he realised that
AECOM, St Albans engineering could offer him a career that combines
Chris Pountney knows the value of many of his interests.
showcasing practical engineering to His personal ambition is to run his own design
students, having been one himself practice, but he recognises that the future of the industry
when he was first introduced to it. ‘The is dependent on new blood: ‘I would like to see more
application of theoretical knowledge to young people entering engineering and construction.
practical, real-life problems is an exciting prospect. Without new talent, the British engineering profession >
www.cibsejournal.com November 2009 CIBSE Journal 27
CIBSEnov09 pp26-29 Grad v2.indd 27 22/10/09 15:36:07
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