As the need for sustainable building solutions shapes our industry, sharing knowledge and experience is vital. Chapters of CIBSE’s Young Engineers Network (YEN) in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and New Zealand play a key role in this.
YEN’s Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) region chair, Enda Seyama Heneghan, explains how she is bringing them together.
How did you become involved in YEN?
A colleague on the New South Wales YEN committee invited me to a CIBSE event, which happened to be on a sustainability topic relevant to my work at the time. That introduced me to CIBSE as somewhere to learn about current industry topics and hear directly from experienced professionals.
Soon afterwards, I was invited to join the YEN committee. It offered a natural way to build my network, connect with other early-career professionals and learn about the wider industry.
What are the benefits of joining YEN?
It’s a great way to grow your network beyond your own organisation and discipline. By connecting with people at a similar career stage, you can better appreciate the small but important part we all contribute to large projects. Beyond this, you gain access to events and the opportunity to help organise them, which builds confidence and develops leadership skills.
How did you arrive at your current role?
I joined Arup Sydney in 2020, with a mechanical engineering degree, but have since specialised in sustainable design of buildings and precincts, and am now senior sustainability consultant and a Green Star Accredited Professional.
Which project have you been most proud of – and what did you learn from it?
The Bondi Pavilion restoration at Bondi Beach, one of the first I worked on as an Arup intern and the first I saw to completion. Coordinating the sustainability strategy for this heritage building called for careful, tailored solutions. We achieved a five-star Green Star rating, with about 80% of the original structure retained and a 100% electric building, powered largely by rooftop solar. I learned how good sustainability outcomes rely on coordination and collaboration, and about working within real constraints.
Where has your regional YEN had its biggest impact in the past year?
A University outreach across our YEN cities. We have attended more careers fairs and campus events, and held university lectures to introduce students to CIBSE and building services.
We believe getting students involved in CIBSE early is valuable, as it gives them access to industry events and mentors, helps them build professional networks before they graduate and offers a clearer view of career pathways.
What are the current YEN priorities for your region?
The YEN ANZ region spans five chapters across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and New Zealand, and our main priority is connecting these more closely, to share knowledge and learn from each other’s strengths. We’re also growing our university partnerships to support students beginning their careers.
What are your personal objectives as chair and what are you looking forward to?
To foster connected and engaged YEN communities that create opportunities for early-career engineers to be part of wider industry conversations and feel empowered to make positive changes to our industry.
I’m particularly looking forward to the ANZ Young Engineer Awards in Sydney this October. It’s a great chance to celebrate our young engineers and the people who support them.
What would you say to someone thinking of building services engineering as a career?
Building services is far broader than many people realise, with room to specialise in areas such as sustainability, and scope to keep learning throughout your career. My main advice would be to get involved early by going to events, joining a community such as YEN and talking to people across different disciplines. You’ll quickly see in just how many directions the industry can take you.
For more information on CIBSE ANZ YEN visit: ANZ YEN