Meet the joint winners of The Young Structural Engineer of the Year Award and be inspired!

The Young Structural Engineer of the Year Award is given to young people who demonstrate outstanding performance and show exceptional promise for the future.

This award is presented by the Institution of Structural Engineers, supported by The Educational Trust, to recognise outstanding performance among engineers, under the age of 28. Last year, the judges had a real struggle on their hands - they couldn’t choose an outright winner, so they were delighted to announce two Young Structural Engineers of the Year - Harriet Eldred and Kai Qu.

As part of their entries, candidates were required to submit a 2000 word report on a project in which they had significant input, which also demonstrated creativity and originality. Here is what each winner had to say about their experience:

Harriet Eldred

It almost happened by accident. I never had any difficulty in deciding my A-level choices at school as I just picked my favourite subjects (maths, further maths, physics & design and technology). Then the next logical step was engineering at university. I ended up on a general course at Cambridge and the structures course was by far my favourite module right from the start. I did a few different engineering-based summer placements before I ended up at AECOM in the summer after my third year. I loved every minute of my summer placement and that was it, I’ve been here ever since!

I’ve always been intrigued by structures and what makes them stand up and I think that pursuing a career as a structural engineer has allowed me to answer the questions that the structures around me have posed.

I studied engineering at Cambridge from 2005-2009 specialising in Civil and Structural Engineering in my third and fourth years. I worked for AECOM as a structural engineer in the summer of 2008 and began working for AECOM full time in September 2009.

Nothing beats watching a building take shape as contractors and sub-contractors decipher the information on your drawings and turn a building into reality. It’s the same for any project whether it’s a steel train, a shed, a school or something a bit more headline grabbing like the Serpentine Pavilion.

The Serpentine Pavilion is probably the most challenging project I have worked on to date and watching the construction over the past few weeks has made me very proud.

To be honest, I never expected to win, so doing so has been a bit of a shock which hasn’t really sunk in yet. It’s a great honour to be recognised by such a prestigious Institution and it’s something that I will be proud of for the rest of my life.

Kai Qu

I’ve been attracted to engineering since I was little, under the influence of my father’s engineering background. My education at the University of Bath involved a strong emphasis on the integration of architecture and engineering. My tutors helped me to realise that good structural engineering transforms brilliant architectural ideas from sketches into reality. This understanding allows me to integrate my technical knowledge and creativity. I have always found it to be a very nice experience to work closely with artists and architects in the early design stages, creating something interesting and beautiful that influences the built environment.

Starting in my second year at the University of Bath, I participated in a number of placements during my 5-year course of study. I have been working full-time for nearly three years, since I graduated. I am very grateful that throughout these years, I’ve been able to meet a number of great mentors at both Packman Lucas and Buro Happold, who have taught and guided me at work, as well as offered me opportunities to be involved in challenging and intriguing projects. Their support has been crucial for me to keep growing and improving as a structural engineer.

So far, I feel most fortunate to have been able to join Packman Lucas straight after graduation, and for the opportunity to join the design team for The Shoal. I am very proud of being a part of the team, which has enabled me to work with and learn from many experienced engineers, as well as deliver this unique project for the London Olympic Games and the local community.

I feel very honoured and grateful to receive this award from the institution. It gives me confidence and further motivation to explore structural engineering by engaging in hard work, active learning and continuous practice.

For more information go to: www.istructe.org