The role of the engineer in society

Barbara TIJERINA, Circular Economy Project Leader

How do you integrate social and environmental responsibility into your professional practice as an engineer?

“Multiple social and environmental principles define my practice as an engineer.

Firstly, in design, incorporating concepts for flexibility and adaptability, aiming to minimise resource consumption and waste, and promoting renewable energy sources. This includes analysing the lifecycle impacts of projects and the cost of maintenance, repair, and foreseeable retrofitting, to ensure a prolonged life span of buildings.

Then, in implementation, identifying environmental impacts of construction sites to define measures for conservation, mitigation, and compensation. Exploring opportunities for restoration and promoting ecosystems as green infrastructure can result in environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Finally, projects in use must take the users’ well-being into account. Protecting human health with the choice of materials and comfort strategies, while involving users in the care of the building itself, promotes the conscious use of resources. Additionally, involving shared spaces allows for enhanced utility where community-building activities can be housed.

Overall, remaining flexible and open to innovations contributes to efficient and responsible solutions in engineering projects.”

Michel MODERT, Project Manager for Urban Planning and Regional Development

How can sustainable urban development concepts contribute to overcoming today’s environmental problems?

“The integration of sustainable concepts into urban and spatial planning is crucial to combating the environmental problems we currently face.
These sustainability concepts not only include more environmentally friendly means of transport and ecologically valuable green spaces, but also bring about a fundamental change in urban infrastructure.

The diversification of transport options, the expansion of public transport and the promotion of alternative means of transport not only contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions, but also create a more liveable and sustainable urban and settlement development.

The creation of (community) gardens and sustainably designed housing estates, for example, promotes seasonal and local self-sufficiency and integrates the idea of sustainable living. Integrated urban planning by cross-disciplinary planners is one of the starting points for transforming urban space with sustainable solutions and tackling the environmental problems of the 21st century.

André SCHROEDER, Project Manager in Structural Engineering

What, in your opinion, is the greatest positive impact an engineer can have on society through their work?

“Engineers have a major impact on many areas of our lives. We are often responsible for shaping our immediate environment and actively contribute to how our society perceives its living space and navigates it.

However, we are not only responsible for what we see or where we find ourselves. By applying our knowledge through concrete ideas and concepts, we also decide what impact a project will have on our environment.

We can influence decisions that need to be made in order to achieve maximum environmental friendliness and resource conservation.

This is my opinion, and in my view, one of the most important roles of an engineer is to create not only a beautiful environment for our world, but also a clean environment in which future generations will feel at home.

Nadia Lucia ZAMMITO, Project Manager

How can the engineering approach help to solve the social and environmental challenges we face today?

“The implementation of a project with a specific budget and predefined constraints” is the phrase that could simply sum up our profession as engineers. Whether small or large in scale, each project confronts us with various challenges, whether social, economic, environmental or legal.

Our first step will therefore be to define the final needs and objectives. This is followed by discussions with design and control offices and various administrations. Each of these players will impose their own recommendations to be followed.

The Project Manager will therefore have to wear several hats when carrying out their various tasks, which will give them undeniable flexibility in the face of various social and environmental challenges. They will, of course, act as an advisor to their client, but will also need to be a skilled negotiator with subcontractors and design offices in order to find the best compromise between legal requirements and the client’s interests. They will therefore need to manage the project strategically in order to meet planning and budgetary requirements.

Nowadays, we are increasingly confronted with environmental issues in our projects, particularly when they directly affect our portfolio. Currently, we can offer interesting alternatives in terms of construction techniques and materials, which are subsidised by grants. All these arguments can encourage the client to carry out these long and costly works.

The Project Manager’s approach must therefore be able to respond to the multiple demands of the various parties by finding the best compromises while guaranteeing the client that the project will be completed at the best price.