Patricia Waterson

I decided to become an engineer because my Dad is an engineer and he can fix anything!

I wanted to do that too – I wanted to understand how things work.

One of the enjoyable parts of my job is trying to get inside the architect’s head to help them realise their vision. Our engineering is not an after-thought; it’s thinking that can bring a building to life. With clear communication we can find elegant ways to solve complex challenges.

A particular strength of mine is the ability to be relaxed but methodical. I understand the creative process. I understand the need to sift through ideas to locate the nuggets. And I’m really good at evaluating those ideas from an engineering point-of-view and sometimes saying, ‘perhaps there is a better way’.

As part of my experience at Max Fordham I’ve worked pro-bono in developing countries and really understood designing creatively within tight constraints of site and budget. It’s been very helpful in my work elsewhere.