Aashika Shibu is a sustainability focused professional, who was named in the inaugural CIBSE 30 Under 30 Class of 2025. This list, curated by the CIBSE Young Engineers Network (YEN), celebrates the ‘best and brightest’ global talent in the building services sector.
Shibu was selected in the Wildcard category for making a ‘standout contribution to engineering in ways not covered by [CIBSE’s] other awards’. It recognises impact in its broadest sense, bridging the gap between technical engineering and other sectors.
With an architecture background in Dubai, Shibu is now an environmental designer and Passivhaus consultant at Etude, in London. Her day-to-day work involves detailed modelling and analysis to assess building performance, support fabric-first design, and turn net zero ambitions into practical, deliverable outcomes.
She serves on the CIBSE YEN London committee.
Q Briefly describe your career to date.
A I began with a sustainability consultancy internship at Buro Happold, in Dubai, where I supported low carbon design advice and certification work on major projects.
After completing my degree, I worked as a junior architect in Dubai, building a strong technical grounding in design delivery and performance-focused thinking. I then moved to London to specialise further through an MSc in environmental design and engineering at UCL, and joined Etude in 2023.
Q What has being on the 30 Under 30 list meant to you?
A It was a real milestone. It felt like recognition not only of my technical work, but also of the value of bridging disciplines – combining an architectural background with performance modelling and whole life carbon to support better decisions. It has also been a confidence boost, and a reminder that there’s space in the industry for people who enjoy getting into the details, asking questions and constantly learning from one another.
Q Who are your role models in the industry?
A I’m continually inspired by colleagues at Etude, who combine technical depth with a collaborative approach to solving real problems.
Beyond day-to-day project work, the CIBSE YEN community has been an important source of role models. They are generous with knowledge sharing and raising the standard of building performance across the industry.
Farah Naz is a key role model for me, as she introduced me to the world of sustainability when I first started, and helped shape how I think about performance-led design in practice.
Q What project have you been most proud of?
A The Surrey Net Zero Carbon Viability Toolkit for Surrey County Council. I played a key technical role, modelling six residential archetypes using PHPP and SAP 10.2, and testing how different fabric, heating and PV strategies affected performance and viability. What I learned was the importance of transparency and traceability: the most useful outputs weren’t just ‘the results’, but the clearly explained assumptions, sensitivity testing, and a method that decision makers could trust.
It reinforced how valuable robust modelling can be when it directly informs policy and real-world delivery.
Q What do you think are the biggest industry challenges in the UK?
A One of the biggest is aligning climate ambition with delivery, especially when programmes, cost pressures and procurement constraints are moving targets. There is also a continuing gap between ‘designed’ and ‘as built’ performance, which makes evidence, quality assurance and responsibilities important.
Finally, we are still developing consistent, comparable approaches to whole life carbon and circular economy reporting across projects, which can create uncertainty for teams trying to do the right thing quickly.
Q What are you most excited about in the industry?
A The shift towards better modelling, better data and better accountability. With the introduction of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, there has been a shift to more standardised approaches for energy and whole life carbon, and the growing expectation of post completion evidence.
I’m also encouraged by the way Passivhaus principles, fabric-first design and circular economy thinking are becoming more mainstream on larger schemes. Recently, one of Etude’s projects, Plashet Road – 65 affordable, Passivhaus-certified council homes – won the RIBA London award and the Sustainability award, which is a step in the right direction.