What does urban regeneration mean to you? 

Urban regeneration brings together all the facets the built environment needs to make a positive contribution to society, weaving together physical assets with the environmental and social aspects. Buildings are empty without people and people need more than just buildings. For a space to grow and develop into a place, people need jobs, education, and social infrastructure.

In the past, urban regeneration often meant rebuilding neighborhoods without consulting local people. In the process, many years of community development were demolished too along with the buildings. Through trial and error, the sector has learnt and gained a better understanding of the importance of engaging with established communities.

Working in the urban regeneration sector has helped me realize that whilst I’m an engineer, the greatest value I have to offer is integrating all the various disciplines that go into delivering successful projects.
 

What can the wider built environment industry learn from urban regeneration?

The multifaceted, collaborative approach taken by urban regeneration is an opportunity to solve challenges from a social and environmental point of view, as well as a technical one.

The 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was a turning point. When it comes to sustainability, it’s no longer enough to just do less harm to the environment. We need to be regenerative and put back more than we take out. Be kinder to our planet.

In urban regeneration, everything we build needs to have a positive social and environmental value, and that’s becoming true for the wider built environment. For example, there’s a lot more focus on improving air quality in buildings, reducing embodied carbon through reuse, using carbon-positive biogenic materials such as timber, and enhancing natural habitats for biodiversity. 

How did you become an engineer?

I studied Civil engineering at the University of Bath. At first I thought I wanted to be a surveyor as I really enjoyed maths, physics and geography at school and loved architecture. It was two brilliant visiting lecturers, Ted Happold and Max Fordham, who inspired me to become an engineer. I learnt about the history of engineering from Ted, and fluid mechanics and mechanical and electrical engineering from Max. But beyond that, I was encouraged by their love of engineering. What I really enjoyed was bringing ideas to life, problem solving and collaborating to create something tangible.

More recently, I completed a Masters in Construction Engineering (CEM) from the University of Cambridge – a part-time degree program exploring the widely recognized challenges facing the construction sector and how to tackle them. This broadened my horizons and gave me a better understanding of the wider influences and drivers shaping the industry.  

Have you always worked in urban regeneration?

After graduating, I joined a medium-sized engineering consultancy in London. I was instantly drawn by the opportunity to experience a diverse array of projects and worked on everything from out-of-town offices to city centre refurbishments and industrial sites. I ended up staying for 25 years, initially becoming a chartered structural engineer, and developing the firm’s specialism in urban regeneration and then going on to become a partner.

My first major urban regeneration project was the regeneration of Bermondsey Spa in Southwark. As someone who has lived in London all my life, it was a real eye-opener. It made me realize that structural engineering goes beyond physical buildings. It’s about creating places and homes for people who need them: places with purpose.

I believe that as engineers, we have an obligation to help create a better society for everyone and see the beauty of places beyond the bricks and mortar.