YOUNG ENGINEERS AWARDS | WINNERS BRIGHT IDEAS Seven engineers vying to become Graduate of the Year 2019 took to the stage at the IMechE in October, with Laura Luckhurst winning the top prize. Liza Young reports T he CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Awards now in its 24th year challenges young engineers to sparkle in front of an audience by showing off their communication skills. Of the 54 entries, eight were shortlisted this year, and seven young professionals presented to a capacity crowd at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on 10 October. This years question was: how can building services professionals find the right balance between the needs of the global environment, occupant health, wellbeing and productivity, and best value? Laura Luckhurst, graduate mechanical engineer at Cundall, won the top prize a trip to the ASHRAE Winter Conference in Orlando after impressing the judges with her articulate and confident five-minute presentation. Second-placed finalist Felix Cox, mechanical engineer at Aecom, and third-placed finalist Tom Lusty, building services engineer at Couch Perry Wilkes, were awarded 600 and 300 respectively from The Rumford Club, while all other finalists received 100 each from The Manly Trust. wellbeing and energy competing, but about finding that balance. The Well Building Standard is already aligned to certain energy certifications, she continued, and it has highlighted the areas on which engineers need to focus and make judgement calls to achieve optimal design. To be able to make those judgement calls, engineers need onsite experience, she said. We need to be able to understand how buildings are constructed, operated and maintained; its something we need to push for and encourage our employers to provide. Luckhurst, who graduated from Sheffield University in 2018, said spending time with facilities managers on every project was paramount. Its about understanding the quirks of the building and looking to design out difficulties in maintenance so we can make facilities managers lives easier, which also makes the job quicker and cheaper. However, she said cost was one of the biggest barriers to designing for optimum balance between wellbeing and the environment. Back row, from left: Laura Luckhurst; Felix Cox; Ryan Hughes; and Ryan Tough. Front row, from left: Reanna Taylor; CIBSE President Lynne Jack; Sophie Hanson; IMechE president Joe McGeough; Chloe Coradetti; Tom Lusty; and ASHRAE president Darryl Boyce Research and experience In her presentation, Luckhurst said the key to finding the balance between the environment, people and cost was to use existing research and guidance and apply it to every single project we work on. She said: Its not about PANEL DEBATE A panel debate, organised by the Young Engineers Network, discussed the same topic as the graduates presentations. Alexandra Logan, senior mechanical engineer at ChapmanBDSP, said there was a ne line between getting it right when nding a balance between wellbeing, cost and environmental impact. To do this, user engagement is key, said Rebecca Carr, senior mechanical engineer at Hoare Lea, because if the design doesnt serve the buildings purpose, it is not valuable. ASHRAE President Darryl Boyce added: You also have to ensure you understand who is going to be operating the building, and their capacity, because great design needs great operation. Past graduate winner Reanna Taylor, of NG Bailey, said a project was not just about saving money upfront, but about beneting the bottom line throughout a buildings lifetime. To achieve this, she said educating building users, owners and developers was paramount. On the issue of thermal comfort, Taylor said: Its about training people to be adaptable to change. Whats wrong with putting on a cardigan when its cold? Thats ok as long as youre not sitting in a ski coat and hat. Carr said data and assessing what affects people was key. She said a lot of temperature setpoints are based on outdated standards and that, now, different climates can be achieved in a single space so people can be catered for in different areas of one open-plan ofce. Surveying people who will move into the space would help, added Logan. 26 November 2019 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Nov19 pp26-28 Young Engineers Awards.indd 26 25/10/2019 14:44