New CIBSE president looks to raise the profile of building-services industry
CIBSE’s president for 2015/16, John Field, is looking to raise the profile and recognition of building-services engineers at the heart of modern life. He is making it a priority for his term as president to raise the profile of the vital work the industry does by making buildings perform better and to empower others to raise their game.
He described building-services engineers as some of the most important professionals in the world, whose work affects the lives and health of billions of people every day and who provide enormous benefits to the general public behind closed doors.
However, he also noted that despite a central role in modern life and considerable achievements, the industry still is not as well known and respected as it work deserves. To correct this, he promised a year of inspiration and empowerment that will spread the work of engineers and encourage young people and other professions to join the work that building-services engineers do.
‘We are at the centre of everyday life, he said. ‘We make it work, and what we do betters the lives and health of billions of people around the world. What we do can be incredibly exciting and inspiring. We lead some incredible initiatives, work in amazing places and make a real difference towards bettering the world.
‘What we as engineers need to do is to raise our profile, show off our achievements to politicians, other professionals and the media and make it clear that what we do is of vital importance to the world.
‘I myself was a nuclear engineer before I was inspired to work in building services by the great work being done in the industry. We need to capture that spark of enthusiasm and get others to feel it too —students, other professions and the public at large.
His vision is that by speaking up as an industry, building-services engineers can increase their influence over areas from public policy to best practice in construction in order to better advance building performance for the benefit of the public. It can also encourage students and professionals in other industries to see building services as an effective means to positively impact energy use and the health of occupants.
