Why aquatic engineering?
I’ve always been a passionate mechanical engineer, continually researching and eager to learn. My career journey has given me the incredible opportunity to work with Jeff Dusting, one of Australia’s best aquatic engineers. This sparked my interest in aquatic design – a mix of mechanical engineering and water chemistry. To me, it’s the most interesting area I could be working in.
What’s an engineering myth you’d like to debunk?
People often believe heated pools are brought to the desired temperature as quickly as possible by heating similar to other water heating methods. In fact, it is heated gradually, generally over 2 to 3 days, to bring it to the temperature set point. Sudden heating develops thermal stress in the pool structure and causes cracks in the tiles.
What do you do outside of work that helps fuel your creativity and commitment to engineering?
I enjoy reading and getting inspired by how engineers around the world are changing the way we live.
Also, I try to step into the shoes of the end user and spend time in the places we design.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned at NDY?
Knowledge sharing is the best form of learning. Our company culture encourages everyone to share and grow their knowledge. Easy access to people who love to share knowledge makes it easier to get advice from experts across everything you do.
What professional relationships do you value the most?
The most? I value the professional relationships that have trust in our knowledge and expertise. To be honest, though, I value every professional relationship as there’s always something to learn from each, one way or the other.
What does Making Spaces Work mean to you?
The role of aquatic engineers is to make aquatic facilities not just work, but safe and enjoyable for people of all ages. When we say the space works, safety and quality of disinfection are the key parameters to work with.
To me, it’s a heartwarming feeling when you see what you designed is benefiting the public, especially in facilities like hydrotherapy.
