INTERVIEW | ANT WILSON AHEAD OF HIS TIME Ant Wilson FCIBSE has been at the forefront of building services innovation for 40 years, helping to change how engineers design buildings. After his retirement from Aecom, Alex Smith looks back at a prolific career A nt Wilsons career has been remarkable. Dubbed Mr Building Services by past CIBSE President George Adams, he has carried out groundbreaking research in multiple disciplines during his four decades in the industry. Wilson has helped produce industryleading guidance on building modelling, faade engineering, lighting, and carbon reduction, and oversaw changes to the Building Regulations that mandated much more sustainable design in new and refurbished buildings. He was also one of the first people to realise the potential of digitisation in building design, after he was asked to do a software validation exercise three months into his first job at Oscar Faber. I realised that what was being done by hand could all be done by software. I came to the conclusion that this was where the real engineering was, says Wilson, who spent a large part of his early career developing design software that forms the backbone of simulations still used today such as IESs thermal modelling software, which was originally developed by Oscar Faber. Wilson has always been keen to share research knowledge with the wider industry. He has worked extensively with institutions and societies such as CIBSE, BSRIA and the BCO, and mentored and encouraged young people to develop a career in building services. His work has been honoured by his peers and beyond; highlights include a CIBSE Silver Medal, awarded in 2007, an Aecom fellowship, and an MBE for services to engineering. In 2015, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Interviewed shortly before his retirement party at Aecoms UK headquarters in the City of London, Wilson reflected on more than 40 22 August 2019 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Aug19 pp22-23 Ant Wilson.indd 22 years at Oscar Faber and Aecom (the former was aquired by Aecom in 2001, and had a period of trading under the name Faber Maunsell). I joined Oscar Faber because they were really ahead of everyone. They were pioneering 3D clash-detection software in the 1970s, says Wilson. Oscar Faber let me follow up my interests. Ive had such good people who have inspired me ethically and technically. Ive worked with five former CIBSE presidents, and people such as Doug Oughton [co-author, with Wilson, of the 11th edition of the definitive text for the industry, Faber and Kells Heating and Air Conditioning of Buildings]. When Steve Irving took me under his wing [at Faber Computer Operations], I really appreciated that. All my bosses have encouraged me and helped me understand the importance of what Im doing, and Ive tried to do the same for others. Formative years Wilson joined Oscar Faber in 1979, after completing a building technology degree at the combined School of Architecture & Building THE NEXT 40 YEARS The circular economy may have become a buzzword recently, but Ant Wilson has been focused on resource efficiency in construction for many years and Aecom produced TM56 Resource Energy Efficiency of Building Services five years ago. Circular is not going away, says Wilson. Governments are only going to increase requirements in this area. He highlights that Policy S17 in the draft London Plan requires circular economy statements to be submitted, to explain how a buildings design and construction will enable materials, components and products to be disassembled and re-used at the end of their useful life. Wilson says the real issue will be the retrofitting of existing buildings to meet circular standards. We will have to change our systems, he predicts. 19/07/2019 15:01