Graduate of the Year Hannah Gray with CIBSE President Vince Arnold and ASHRAE President Bill McQuade
The 30th anniversary of the Young Engineers Awards shattered previous records to become the most successful in the event’s history.
There were a record number of entries from apprentices, undergraduates and graduates in the building services industry, and more than 230 attended the awards ceremony at UCL’s Senate House in central London.
The event, which incorporates the Employer of the Year accolades, honoured the event’s co-founders Ewen Rose and Tim Dwyer FCIBSE, who, after three decades of organising the awards, are stepping down as host and chair of judges respectively.
For their dedication to the awards, both were presented with the President’s Award for Exceptional Service to CIBSE by CIBSE President Vince Arnold.
CIBSE Apprentice of the Year Level 5-7 winner Adia Sadeqee
Dwyer described how the event grew from a small graduate awards ceremony in Harrogate to today’s large-scale celebration of engineering talent.
He told the audience: ‘Over the years, we’ve seen the event flourish and the engineers it celebrates go on to lead education, practice, research and policy across the world. It’s been a privilege to serve as chair of judges.’
The 30th winner of the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Awards was Hannah Gray, University of Edinburgh and Foster + Partners.
The 10 finalists had to give a live presentation on the theme ‘Engineering for impact: how can we make carbon reduction real, measurable and meaningful?’ and the judges rated Gray’s most highly.
‘Hannah stood out for her clarity, composure and depth of understanding, communicating complex ideas with confidence and purpose,’ said Dwyer.
Central to her presentation was a call for engineers to improve their carbon literacy to help them understand how their designs affect building carbon emissions.
‘The next generation of engineers need to become sustainability engineers, regardless of their job title,’ she said.
‘As young building services engineers, we’re taught to size docs and select pumps, but how often are we taught to assess the carbon impacts of these choices ourselves?’
Carbon reduction has to be a core design parameter, added Gray, describing it as being as fundamental as cost, comfort or safety.
‘With carbon literacy, we can make better choices ourselves and educate other disciplines on the impact of their choices,’ she said.
‘As building services engineers, we influence more than just our own systems; we impact glazing, structure and architecture.’
Gray said the growth in performance data will help inform and validate design decisions. ‘If we can combine carbon literacy with our digital skills, we can turn project data into design intelligence,’ she said.
CIBSE Apprentice of the Year Level 3-4 winner Lucy Kedian
Second place in the Graduate category went to Andrea Mackenzie, of the University of Bath and FairHeat, who spoke passionately about how heat networks had the potential to decarbonise buildings.
Third was Rachael Gilbert, of University of Lancashire and Troup Bywaters + Anders, who argued that social engagement was key to encouraging communities to adopt and champion carbon-reduction projects.
The other winners were: Ritika Maladkar, University of Nottingham and Laing O’Rourke, Undergraduate of the Year; Lucy Kedian, CPW and University College Birmingham, Apprentice of the Year Level 3-4; and Adia Sadeqee, MZA Consulting Engineers, Apprentice of the Year Level 5-7.
The success of women in the competition reflects an increasingly broad and rich field of talent, according to Dwyer.
‘The judging criteria remain the same: technical excellence, clarity of communication and professional engagement,’ he said. ‘What has changed is opportunity.
‘More inclusive routes into the profession mean the best candidates – women and men alike – can demonstrate their capability and purpose on an equal stage.’
Undergraduate of the Year Ritika Maladkar
An inspiring legacy
Head judge Tim Dwyer on 30 years of the Young Engineers Awards
The co-founders of the awards, Tim Dwyer FCIBSE and Ewen Rose, are stepping back as organisers after 30 years. Dwyer told the audience how much pride and optimism the awards had given him.
‘What started as a relatively informal venture has grown into one of the industry’s most respected and enduring showcases,’ he said, adding that he has been inspired by how much graduates’ presentations touch on the potential for engineering to provide social benefit.
‘The themes of recent submissions are consistent: technical excellence grounded in social purpose, an instinct for collaboration, and a clear determination to make buildings and communities genuinely better,’ Dwyer said.
‘It’s heartening to see how often graduates combine professional skills with empathy and public service.’
CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year:
Winner: Hannah Gray, University of Edinburgh and Foster + Partners
Runner-up: Andrea Mackenzie, University of Bath and FairHeat
Third place: Rachael Gilbert, University of Lancashire and Troup, Bywaters + Anders
CIBSE Apprentice of the Year Level 3-4:
Winner: Lucy Kedian, CPW
Runner-up: Isobel Powers, WSP
CIBSE Apprentice of the Year Level 5-7:
Winner: Adia Sadeqee, MZA Consulting Engineers
Runner-up: Callum Chamberlain, Hoare Lea
CIBSE Undergraduate of the Year:
Winner: Ritika Maladkar, University of Nottingham
Runner-up: Serra Ardor, University College London
CIBSE ASHRAE Graduates of the Year 1996-2025
2025: Hannah Gray – University of Edinburgh and Foster + Partners
2024: Helen Meutermans – University of Sheffield and AtkinsRéalis
2023: Francesca James – University of Cambridge and FairHeat
2022: Sana Hafsa – Heriot-Watt University and AESG
2021: Lucy Sherburn – University of Sheffield and FairHeat
2020: Jennifer Cox – Heriot-Watt University and Aecom
2019: Laura Luckhurst – Sheffield University and Cundall
2018: Reanna Evans – Leeds Beckett University and NG Bailey
2017: Raphael Amajuoyi – Loughborough University and Hurley Palmer Flatt
2016: Antoni J Sapina Grau – Brunel London University and WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff
2015: Ryan Rodrigues – London South Bank University and Hurley Palmer Flatt
2014: Emilia Targonska – Loughborough University and Hoare Lea
2013: William Holley – University of Nottingham and Buro Happold
2012: Lee Tabis – Leeds College of Building and NG Bailey
2011: Angela Malynn – London South Bank University and Arup
2010: Michael Gardner – Coventry University and Pick Everard
2009: Emma Marshall – Northumbria University and RPS Gregory
2008: Morwenna Wilson – University of Bristol and Arup
2007: Richard Unwin – London South Bank University and Overbury
2006: Michael Norton – London South Bank University
2005: Nigel Banks – Sheffield and Faber Maunsell
2004: Kai Lim – Imperial College and Faber Maunsell
2003: Dominic Shortland – London South Bank University
2002: Richard Kemp – University of Nottingham and Hoare Lea
2001: Ciara Ahern – Dublin Institute of Technology
1999: Ruth Kelly – Dublin Institute of Technology and AMEC
1998: Sophia Kauntz – Arup
1997: Matthew Pilgrim – Arup
1996: Kevin Mitchell – South Bank University and AMEC Design