Two of Civic Engineers’ leadership team have been elected as Fellows of the Institution of Structural Engineers. London studio director Gareth Atkinson and director Andrew Ruck were appointed following a meeting of the Membership Committee back in October. The fellowship is a mark of senior status within structural engineering, and demonstrates the pair’s exceptional ability, experience and professionalism.

As an NLA Net Zero expert and avid lecturer, Gareth’s contribution to engineering leadership and passion lies in sharing his knowledge. Having set up the Civic Engineers Academy, he works hard to instil clear and simple communications techniques in younger engineers, encouraging them on their journeys to chartership and leadership positions. He nurtures their ability to wield a pen and effectively sketch down ideas – a skill he knows is critical to the design process while the industry adapts to new technologies.

Andrew’s technical abilities saw him in charge of a large team of engineers and technicians responsible for the structural engineering design of the £1Bn Stirling Prize-winning European Headquarters for Bloomberg in the City of London. Leading 35 to 40 technical staff at the team’s peak, the project marks the pinnacle of his career and design work to date, achieving the highest BREEAM rating of any office building in the world upon completion.

Gareth Atkinson said of his fellowship, “Being recognised in this way is a fantastic achievement. We’ve been committed to highlighting the role structural engineering can play in getting our industry where it needs to be. Leading the next generation has taken a lot of courage from all of us – it requires a good listening ear. Mind you, between Andrew and I, our combined experience comprises over 50 years!”

“We’re at a really interesting point in time for engineers” says Andrew Ruck, “due to the climate crisis, our ability to positively impact design  has never been so sought after. Our profession is trying to redefine itself to respond to the environmental imperatives we must face up to and urgently address at pace.

This context makes the process of delivering buildings and urban landscapes ever more challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Just as the buildings and places we design need to be flexible and adaptable to respond to change, so too must engineers be to remain relevant and of value to society”