Why mechanical engineering?
I’ve always had a keen interest in design and engineering and mechanical was the perfect fit for me. I also enjoy innovation and energy efficiency, and both of these things have been at the forefront of building design for many years now.
What’s the trickiest problem you’ve solved?
The geothermal system at the Australian War Memorial. While I’ve designed geothermal heating and cooling systems before, the challenge of combining large capacity chillers and heat pumps into a common geothermal system was both challenging and rewarding.
There are often challenges in engineering, what’s one thing that would make your job easier?
Sometimes we hear blanket statements which are inaccurate and, sometimes, impossible. As a mechanical engineer, these can be incredibly frustrating! One example might be – let’s aim to make a 10% energy improvement across the entire mechanical system. There are physical limitations to energy efficiency improvements and possible equipment selections, so we need to be careful about blanket statements.
What do you do outside of work that helps fuel your creativity and commitment to engineering?
I enjoy doing small design side projects. I’m a member at a ski lodge at Mt Buller which had a lot of heating problems, so I’ve designed a few heating upgrades there which have been appreciated by the other members. I might have gone overboard by including a commercial Building Management System (BMS) but it has worked very well through COVID!
Which engineer has taught you the most?
One of our team’s directors, Michael Priest, has been a great mentor throughout my time at NDY. His guidance on how to manage issues politically has been especially helpful.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned at NDY?
Concept reviews at the start of a project are crucial. Brainstorming ideas early allows us to think outside the square and get the most efficient designs integrated into a project.
What professional relationships do you value the most?
I design a lot of data centre projects and the ongoing relationship with the clients and operators is very important. A lot of our designs focus on greatly improving the energy efficiency, so working with them to bring their inefficient brownfield facilities up to modern day efficiency standards is very rewarding.
What does Making Spaces Work mean to you?
To me, this means getting a mechanical design integrated into a building, making sure the performance is right while carefully aligning with client and architectural objectives.
Mechanical services take up a lot of space in a building, and they use a lot of energy, so getting this right – not too small, not too big, meeting energy efficiency and cost targets – is critical. To me, this is what Making Spaces Work is all about.
