Charlotte is a communicator. It’s a skill that is central to her success as an engineer. Whether she’s on site, in a design meeting or on the phone, she communicates with clarity and purpose.
She is also adept at using sketches and drawings to disseminate her ideas. ‘At school I liked maths, science and art,’ she recalls. ‘My brain is quite mathematical, but I like drawing and I like details. I like solving challenges by drawing them.’
Although her portfolio of projects is diverse, Charlotte has growing experience in dealing with heritage buildings, and Passivhaus projects also. ‘Passivhaus ticks a lot of boxes for me. It’s a different way of designing. You still have all the engineering challenges, but you have to focus on the details much earlier than on more conventional projects.’
Charlotte would like to see the line between Passivhaus and ‘conventional’ projects continue to blur. ‘Chasing Passivhaus certification gives you skills that can be applied on projects with more modest sustainability ambitions,’ she explains. ‘It helps you understand the other disciplines in the design team and how to coordinate them for best effect. I think it’s the future and I’m keen to share the knowledge I’ve gained to benefit everyone.’
