Arup

Interview with Tai Hollingsbee

- Tell us a little bit about yourself......what position do you hold in the firm, what's ur day to day routine.

T: I am a mad cyclist so my day starts early with a sprint to the office on my bike. I’m usually at my desk by about 8:30am. Everyday is different and things change throughout the day. It is not often that two days are the same. Design is a continual and progressive process and the type of work we do means we are always building on top of what we did the day before, adding more detail or continuing research for a project. I am a mechanical design engineer. I attend a lot of design meetings which involve talking about how much energy a building should consume, how much glass and which way buildings should be orientated. I discuss with architects how the internal environment of a building needs to be controlled.

For example today I have been talking about how you control the humidity levels in libraries. Books need to be kept within a particular humidity and temperature range otherwise they deteriorate quickly-a big library contains hundreds of thousands of books and it is very important that the space is able to look after the books for a long time.

- What company do you work for and what do they do?

T: I work for Arup, a consulting engineering firm. Arup is a global design and business consulting firm. The company has a cross section of interesting people with varied skills and backgrounds. Our core business is in the design and implementation of buildings, urban infrastructure and business solutions. We have all sorts of people in the firm: different types of engineers, designers, architects, material specialists, acoustic and vibration experts, IT consultants, water supply specialists, environmental experts, even musicians! - it’s quite a mixed bag! We have about 7000 people in the firm, scattered through out our offices around the globe. Although these people have different training and skills, we all have a common thread between us which ties us to what Arup is about: Solving problems for clients through good design, technical excellence and innovation.

We work out how to do things in clever ways, and like being challenged! An important thing we pay particular attention to is the environment and the sustainability our solutions-what impact does our work have on the world? The firm has always had a holistic view of design right from the beginning − how much material will it take to make a building? Where does it come from? How long will it last? who has to build it? How do we take it apart in 100 years? These sorts of questions always get asked. They are really important in good design.

- Why do you think London is such a great place to appreciate architecture/building design?

T: Two things I think: age and the people of London. London is blessed with a history which is recorded in the fabric of the city − you can see history unfold around you as you walk through the streets.

Edwardian houses lining a street turn into Victorian terraces around the corner. Grand government buildings set in pretty parks contrast decaying 1960’s concrete architecture standing across it. There has been so much time for buildings to be built and a lot of them are still around that all the new architecture being mixed into the existing architecture makes for a rich experience. You also get many different spatial experiences in London − you can evolve from the impressive dome within St. Pauls Cathedral, cross the river by way of a modern steel bridge and stroll into a beautifully refurbished powerstation which is now a world class art gallery - all within 30 minutes! But I think what has made it such a great place are the people who have been involved in the development and construction of London right from the beginning. Ambitious architects have dreamt up ideas which have been supported by brave financiers, which have then been materialised by innovative engineers and builders.

London seems to attract and grow these types of characters which results in exciting and different architecture.

- There is so much urban development in London at the moment, is your firm involved in any of these projects?

T: We are involved in many projects at the moment in London. A lot of work with the London Olympics is coming up. We have had a lot of involvement with the Kings Cross Redevelopment and the new airport terminals in Heathrow. There is a very tall building being built near Tower Bridge and we are designing the building services for it. It’s all very exciting work.

- What has been your most memorable project to work on?

T: My most memorable project has been the refurbishment of an old factory building into a high quality art and office space. It opened last year and to be able to walk around a building which you have spent along time designing is a great feeling. It was difficult because timelines were short and there were many design constraints. After spending many long nights working out small design details, seeing them work and the space functioning the way it was intended, makes it quite special and rewarding. You should go see it! We can go together! The gallery is in Shepards Bush. Check out the website: www.ltbfoundation.org

- If you make, for example, a new building for a bank, how many people are needed to create the design/concept/realisation and what would their job descriptions be?

T: The actual number of people needed varies a little with the size of the project and how much time you have. But for a bank of, say 12 storey high, there would be the architects who usually consist of a team of 6 people, 3 structural engineers, 2 mechanical engineers, 1 plumbing engineer, 1 electrical engineer, 1 IT/AV specialist, 2 security specialists, 3 Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) draughtsmen, 1 quantity surveyor to cost the project and a project manager to manage the whole project. It’s a very rough approximation, sometimes you can get away with half that amount of people, sometimes double.

- Green issues? In this day and age, how much importance is put into environmental engineering?

T: A great amount of importance is put into environmental issues. The bulk of the work we do have environmental and sustainability issues considered from the outset. We always try to design buildings that consume less energy run, last longer, create comfortable environments and use materials efficiently. It is absolutely critical that environmental issues are at the heart of any design. The industry is definitely moving in that direction globally. Some places faster than others. But regardless of trend, to design in an environmentally friendly way is actually to design in a practical, rational and sensible way. It doesn’t necessarily cost more money nor does it mean your building will look like it’s made from recycled cardboard.

Most ‘green’ building design features used in the ‘green’ buildings of today use techniques which have been used by many civilisations thousands of years ago.

- Are there any new technologies/software you are using to help with building design?

T: There is a lot exciting development in software for the architectural and building engineering industry. Buildings are now designed entirely in 3D and analysed in 3D. We are working towards creating a common 3D model which the architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer and other specialist can operate. This is so that everyone is working off the same set of information and each discipline can modify the design in real time, enabling everyone to see how changes in the design affect each discipline.

This helps the whole design team coordinate the design efficiently and contributes to reducing the time needed to design the building. It also means potentially more accurate design information so that the buildings can be constructed quicker with fewer errors.

- Do you have any projects in developing countries?

T: In my own time I am involved with a project in Cambodia, helping a charity build a new training facility which specialises in the design and construction of replacement limbs for victims of land mine explosions. It is quite early in the project and has a long project time line. Getting funding for this project is critical in its progress. Check out the website: www.cspo.org.kh

- What would be your dream project to work on?

T: It has to be two projects: The first one would be any project where my experience and skills is being used to better peoples lives in parts of the world that need it − building hospitals, schools and homes. The other would have to be building my own eco-home sometime in the future, in a warm and sunny part of the world for my family!

Writteb by Selph