Ingrid Berkeley

"Good communication is really important for my job; from writing reports, contributing at design team meetings to giving presentations and preparing bids to win new work.I need to be really organised to manage working on lots of projects at the same time and to ensure I meet my deadlines.I like working on my own when preparing reports, calculations, presentations etc in the office but I also enjoy being part of a wider team; I supervise junior members of the team and work as part of a bigger design team on all projects.I need to have a good eye for detail when reviewing designs to make sure they comply with sustainability assessment criteria and also when auditing finished projects; sometimes I feel like a detective trying to find out why something isn't working right or using too much energy. "

"I work as part of a team to design new buildings; my role as sustainability consultant is to advise how to make the buildings more sustainable including the type of materials used, renewable technology, energy efficient equipment, techniques to reduce construction waste, improving biodiversity etc.Also as a building performance engineer I make sure the buildings we design work effectively and efficiently; I spend up to 3 years after the building is built going back to the building to monitor it, review the energy its using, check everything is working correctly, chat with the building users to see if they have any problems etc. and provide advice on how to make the building work more effectively and use less energy.What I enjoy most about my job is feeling I'm making a difference; buildings account for a large proportion of the carbon dioxide emissions around the world and I'm trying to reduce their impact on the planet. "

"When I left school I didn't know what I wanted to do, I was always good with numbers and enjoyed science at school so did a degree in physics. After I finished my degree I still didn't know what I wanted to do! So I took a gap year and did various work placements to help me decide. I really recommend this as it's hard to understand what's involved in a job until you try it, even just a week shadowing someone can give a lot of insight. During my gap year I worked as a research assistant at the University of Edinburgh on a project funded by MARS (the chocolate company) looking at the physics of chocolate! I also did a placement at a nuclear power station and did some STEM Ambassador work promoting physics at schools. What really inspired me to work in this field was attending EcoBuild - a conference about sustainability in architecture. At this conference I heard Max Fordham speaking passionately about sustainability which I've always cared about and that's when I decided to combine my love of architecture and passion for mitigating climate change and applied for a masters in architectural engineering at Heriot-Watt University. I really loved this course, enjoyed it much more than pure physics and it was during this masters I knew this was going to be the right career for me. A few years ago I was invited back to sit on the Industry Advisory Panel at Heriot-Watt University for this course which has been a real honour as it was a big turning point in my career.After university I got a job as energy engineer at KJ Tait Engineering before moving to work at Max Fordham LLP. Its really great being able to work for the company that inspired me all those years ago at EcoBuild! "

"I have a 10 month old baby so don't have much spare time at the moment! I came back to work after 9 months maternity leave and my husband is taking the last 3 months as shared parental leave; it's great this scheme exists now so we can share the responsibility.When not at work I love spending time with my family and going for walks in the countryside. I live in East Lothian and we have some beautiful beaches nearby. I also enjoy art and photography (going to galleries and doing my own art, though I haven't had much time for that recently!).I love a project - whether that's some DIY, designing our garden or planning our next holiday (particular favourite was New Zealand a few years ago). "

"One thing I really like about my job is how varied it is: - One day I might be in the office replying to emails, writing reports, doing calculations and reviewing spreadsheets.- Another I might be on a building site reviewing the progress of a design.- Another I might be in an architect's office at a design team meeting.- Another day I might be surveying a building to see how we can save energy.- I might also be at a conference or training course.- I also could be giving a presentation for an architect firm or new client to try to win more work. "

"- 2005 - Scottish Highers (AAAAB): Maths, Physics, Chemistry, French, English- 2006 - Scottish Advanced Highers (AAA): Maths, Physics, Chemistry- 2006-2009 - University of Cambridge, Natural Sciences (specialising in physics) MA- 2009-2010 - Gap year - various work experience placements- 2010-2011 - Heriot Watt University, Architectural Engineering MSc (with distinction)- 2011 - Started job in building services engineering as a sustainability consultant - gained qualifications as a BREEAM Assessor and CIBSE Low Carbon Consultant - 2019 - Gained Chartered Engineer, CEng MCIBSE qualification "