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Kai Salman-Lord

Building services engineer

NAME Kai Salman-Lord
JOB EngineImage of Kai Salman-Lorder
EMPLOYER Max Fordham
QUALIFICATIONS BSc physics, University of Bristol (2007)

I wanted a career doing something environmentally friendly, which led to the idea of sustainability engineering. A family friend worked in this area; we discussed the sector and how to get into it and he recommended various employers I could try.

I now work in a building services engineering role, a job which can have a big impact on a project’s sustainability. It wasn’t an issue that my degree is in physics – the company ethos is very much about starting from basic physical principles to find new ways of doing things – although many employers do expect you to have a relevant engineering degree. Moving from physics to engineering has been a steep learning curve, though!

A green archive

I’m working on a £10m project to construct an environmentally friendly archive building and office for archive workers. My company was brought on board by the architect to provide building services engineering expertise two years ago and I’ve been involved since the start of last year.

'A building services engineering role can have a big impact on a project’s sustainability.'

My role has been to do the full electrical design and oversee its implementation, which is the first time I’ve done this. I took the initial concept and developed it into a full set of design information and drawings; I’m now keeping an eye on the construction phase, working with the electrical contractor who is implementing my designs. I do quite a bit of research, for example finding light fittings that the architect will like and that will fulfil the relevant regulations, discussing options with lighting manufacturers and then with the architect. There’s a balance to strike between aesthetic considerations and issues such as safety and performance.

Multiple projects

The number of projects I have on the go at any one time varies. I was previously working full time on the archive project but now it’s under construction I only spend a day or two a week on it.

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