CAREERS | YOUNG ENGINEERS NETWORK Munis Hameed A couple of years ago, Munis Hameed wasnt even a member of CIBSE. Now hes chair of its YEN worldwide committee. Hameed heard about the Institution while working in his first job at BuroHappold Engineering, which he joined after completing a Masters degree in sustainability at the Dubai campus of HeriotWatt university. The moribund UAE branch of the YEN was revived at a social gathering in Dubai four years ago, after Hameed put his hand up to become its technical officer. Six months after becoming branch chair last year, he took the same role on the global committee. The 27-year-old got a taste for building services while studying energy conservation during the final year of his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at HeriotWatt. Since starting work more than four years ago, he has worked on some of the Gulfs highest-profile projects. These include the Museum of the Future, where he worked on developing the distinctive faade, which is etched with calligraphy depicting the text of a famous Arab poem. As well as being an interesting visual feature, the faade offers shading and boosts the sustainability credentials of the museum, which is designed to draw at least 80% of its power from a dedicated solar plant. Hameed, of Ramboll, observes that clients are increasingly insisting on using BIM technology a building services trend that he clearly welcomes. Sometimes its hard to get the message across by presenting everything in 2D but, if you are walking through a building, you can see it from all perspectives, he says. There will come a point where drawings wont be issued in paper but will be produced via an online portal only. It may take a while for authorities to accept digital information instead of paperwork, but I see it happening in my time. Rebecca Neill The Scottish branch of the YEN decided to inject some fun into continuing professional development (CPD) by holding a couple of sessions in the pub. It was to try to offer a more relaxed environment than your standard CPD and to get people along. Its a bit of a slog for people going somewhere after work, says Rebecca Neill, chair of the Scottish YEN. She stresses, however, that those attending the two trial CPD pub sessions, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, are only allowed one drink before they get down to business. Neill, 27, got involved in building services after completing a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Edinburgh. Her interest was sparked by hearing presentations about the discipline while taking part in the Engineering Without Borders competition at Durham University. Neill returned to her hometown of Aberdeen after graduating and took a job in the office of Wallace Whittle. She then moved to Edinburgh in 2015, to take an engineers role at Cundall, where she mainly works on HVAC and public health. The highest-profile project with which she has been involved is the restoration of the 19th-century City Observatory on Calton Hill, a neoclassical building that overlooks Edinburgh. Neill admits its been a fantastic project to work on, and adds: Its the first time the buildings have been opened to the public since they were built. The main challenge was the age of building: it wasnt designed for a lot of the modern conveniences we have nowadays. The refurbished observatory has its own mini-district heating system, which is powered by a combined heat and power plant. Another benefit of being involved with the YEN is support when pursuing chartership, Neill says. She is very keen to spread the Scottish branch of the YEN beyond the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. She says: Im very keen to expand it up into Scotland, but the challenge is getting people locally to help out with these things outside of the central belt. 8 February 2019 www.cibsejournal.com Book 1.indb 8 12/02/2019 11:37