This is the first blog of Oliver Plunkett, the newly appointed Structural Engineer Director at Building Design Partnership’s Dublin office. Over the coming weeks in his blogs exclusively on irishconstruction.com, Oliver will discuss various issues pertinent to engineers including Interdisciplinary design, Eurocodes and the Skills Shortages. In his first blog, Oliver discusses his arrival to our shores to take up his role as head of the civil and structural team in Ireland.

‘Arrival in Ireland: Collaboration and Efficiency’

After twelve years in London, the last five of which were at the London office of Building Design Partnership (BDP), I recently moved to BDP’s Dublin office to lead the development of our civil and structural team in Ireland and release the full potential of our interdisciplinary offer to the Irish market.

I am passionate about interdisciplinary design. My experience at BDP and at mono-disciplinary practices has led me to believe that the best of the industry is brought out by effective collaboration of all disciplines throughout projects and on all projects.

If you explained this to a visitor from Mars, I’m sure this would sound blindingly obvious, and we do all collaborate, of course – we couldn’t achieve what we do as an industry if we didn’t. As I write this, the stunning new airport in Beijing is opening which is yet another testament to what can be achieved.

But how effective and efficient are we, and do we collaborate as much as we could? I don’t have the figures but if Beijing is the largest building in the world then the industry’s track record would suggest that it’s also created the largest amount of waste for any building on earth! And it’s probably involved the most mind blowing number of design hours.

Are we challenging ourselves enough to improve the way we work together to serve the wider needs of society?

As an interdisciplinary engineer, I have always drawn great inspiration from the Victorian pioneers like Brunel and Joseph Paxton. They had nothing like the technology available to us today in achieving their successes they did like the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Crystal Palace. I would like to think it was because they thought and worked as ‘total designers’.

We have the benefit of their experience to follow and the advances in technology. However, we have to collaborate to harness this. We have to drive ourselves to not just complete bigger and better buildings but also buildings that minimise waste in all forms and ones that are fit for future use and re-use.

This is the first in a series of diary entries in which I will attempt to cover the issues facing engineers today, in a challenging and provocative fashion – as is only right and proper! As engineers, we should continually challenge ourselves and accepted practice. It is only by doing this that we can contribute fully to the issues facing the industry and society – and get maximum enjoyment from the process and the fulfilment that comes with a job well done!

In his second blog exclusively for irishconstruction.com Oliver Plunkett will discuss Interdisciplinary design