This week, we hear from George Lunt, technical director and new mobility specialist from our Future Mobility team based in Bristol, United Kingdom, as he discusses his work leading an innovative e-scooter trial in the south-west of England.  

The West of England region is one of just four Future Transport Zones (FTZ) in the country, set up to trial the latest innovations for creating convenient, accessible alternatives to car travel and encourage a much-needed modal shift.  

Hailed as the most successful trial of its kind in England, this e-scooter project — run by the West of England Combined Authority and part of the FTZ — demonstrates the exciting potential of this green and cost-effective mode of transport being rolled out on a wider scale elsewhere.  

With 20 years of industry experience, George has a wealth of knowledge and technical expertise, having previously led the Capri autonomous vehicle (AV) trials in Bristol and at London’s Olympic Park — a three-year project that made great strides in building public trust and accelerating momentum for AVs in the UK. 

Tell us more about the micro-mobility trial you are leading in the West of England and how it is benefiting communities and the environment. 

Currently, I am working with the West of England Combined Authority — the overarching transport authority that covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire — to support the FTZ.  

As part of this programme, several projects are underway that AECOM is closely involved in, including Mobility Hubs, which is trialling more community-focused transport interchanges; Mobility as a Service, which streamlines integrated journey planning and ticketing onto one smartphone app; and Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), which is replacing traditional fixed bus routes by enabling drivers to be more agile and dynamic about where people are picked up enroute.  

Although I am involved in all these projects in some shape or form, the project I have been working most closely with is the e-scooter trial, which I am currently leading. Launched almost three years ago, this trial is the most successful of its kind in England — if not in Europe — and has been highly popular in the West of England, providing real benefits to local communities. Since the trial started, there have been 430,000 users and more than 12 million rides.  

As part of this work, we have been collaborating with the University of the West of England to evaluate the impact of scooter users and so far, from the surveys we’ve done of participants in these trials, we’re seeing a shift away from all other forms of transport. When you take all the changes into account, we are seeing that the e-scooter trial has contributed to reduced carbon emissions across the whole region. So, in terms of having an impact on carbon and air quality, that’s an immediate benefit that we can demonstrate.  

In addition, we’re looking at individual stories from users through in-depth interviews. The remarkable thing is that when you start talking to users, you see how much they’re embedding this mode of transport into their daily lives. People are telling us stories about how accessible the scooters are and how they’re enabling them to undertake trips they would not have been able to do before.  

One of the nice things about the trial in the West of England is that there are significant discounts for people who are on income support, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance. This way, we can really target interventions to the right people in the right way — and that’s because the e-scooters are technology-enabled and app-based. Thanks to the ease in which these kinds of initiatives can be implemented, using digital technology, positive impacts can be made at pace. 

The next phase of the trial is to try and take some of the things we’re doing with e-scooters and move them over to rental e-bikes. We’re especially keen on this because e-bikes enable you to travel longer distances more comfortably, so the overall carbon impact is going to be greater. 

Ultimately, what we want to do is to integrate with other modes of transport that enable people to travel more sustainably — such as making it easier for people to get to a train or bus stop, when they might have otherwise taken a taxi or driven. By trialling this project here in a part of the West of England, we can create a blueprint, if you like, for being able to roll it out more significantly across the wider region.

Did you come across any challenges during the project and how did you overcome them? 

We certainly came across challenges on the e-scooter trial. I prefer to think of them as opportunities though, because the whole point of these projects is to learn from them. So, I think if you don’t have challenges, it means you’re not pushing the boundaries far enough and you’re not challenging yourself to get the most learning. 

Some of the difficulties have been around striking the right balance between having enough e-scooters on the road to make it a convenient service for users, whilst keeping them tidy and organised so that it prevents street clutter. When it comes to valuable road users — like blind or partially-sighted people, or people with wheelchairs — poorly parked e-scooters on already cluttered footways are a big challenge.  

What we’re looking to do over time is to introduce more on-road parking where possible, because in my view, the footways need to be for pedestrians. But we also didn’t want that to be a barrier to the whole trial from the outset. So, that’s been a challenge in terms of the logistical side of things: How do you educate people to park in the right way and be compliant, and how do you push the operator to enforce those rules and get the message out there? 

This requires a strong relationship between the Transport Authority and the local Highway Authority responsible for maintaining public highways. The goal is getting that partnership right, identifying where the correct parking areas should be, and getting them signed off and approved across all parties to get that working. 

Another challenge was helping to reverse negative perceptions of e-scooters, such as people reporting e-scooter riders jumping red lights and riding on the footway, etc. We really need to listen to those concerns and use the technology and all the measures we have to improve that. Interesting our research shows that e-scooter riders and cyclists have similar levels of compliance, whether it be jumping red lights, riding on the footway, and other inappropriate behaviour. So, this demonstrates to me the need for better infrastructure. For example, our research shows that people often feel the need to ride on a footway because they feel it’s too dangerous to ride on the road. Therefore, the big uptake of e-scooter riding in the West of England really helps put forward the case for better cycling and e-scooter infrastructure in general. 

What lessons have you learned from this project and how are you going to take them forward into your future work? 

A big lesson I’ve learned is the level of collaboration that’s needed to make things work at scale. In terms of the e-scooter trial’s success, that’s largely down to the collaborative work that we’ve done with the West of England Combined Authority, the operator and the Unitary Authorities — as well as all the wider stakeholders including the police and fire service. 

We’ve also worked with an equality group — which supports valuable road users — and universities. The University of Bristol, for instance, has done some quite innovative retrofitting of air quality sensors on scooters and is currently trialling that technology. I have learnt a massive amount by working with all the great people on my team too.  Another key factor for success is investment. We’ve been fortunate in the West of England that the trial has been partly funded by the FTZ. This has enabled us to give the project the attention it needs and deserves to make it a success.

Another key factor for success is investment. We’ve been fortunate in the West of England that the trial has been partly funded by the FTZ. This has enabled us to give the project the attention it needs and deserves to make it a success.  

The post Deep Dive with George Lunt appeared first on Blog.

A senior program manager with almost 40 years of experience overseeing complex transit programs all over the world, Jim joined AECOM’s project management team in 2020. He is currently the program chief executive for the communications-based train control (CBTC) program for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-New York City Transit (MTA-NYCT) that is modernizing the signaling system on the Eighth Avenue subway line. In this role, Jim is overseeing design, installation, testing and commissioning of the wireless computerized CBTC network that will replace NYCT’s 1930s-era mechanical signal system.

Tell us what inspired you to join the industry.

I always had an affinity for trains and for engineering, dating back to when I was 4 years old, and my grandfather used to take me to the train yards so I could wave to the conductors as they pulled out onto their routes. I was a child during NASA’s Apollo program so at one point, growing up, I dreamt of becoming an astronaut, until I found out I didn’t qualify because I wear glasses.

Since that wasn’t possible, I considered being a rocket scientist. But my interests always came back to trains and, ultimately in college, transit systems and trains. I saw that as an engineer, I could make a difference to communities, take on complex, interesting programs and explore the world. And with work on projects in Chicago, San Francisco, the Middle East in Dubai and Qatar, and now New York City, that’s exactly what I’ve done.

Seeing how transit transforms cities and provides people with more opportunities through access to employment, education and recreation is very rewarding. I’m proud to be part of it and, while I still admire astronauts, I am glad that I kept my feet on the ground to help develop and advance these transit networks.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

It has to be the Eighth Avenue CBTC system, my latest project. We’re supporting NYCT as they replace their nearly 100-year-old mechanical signal system with CBTC, a computerized system that uses wireless connectivity to maintain constant connections between trains and an automated supervision system at the rail control center that manages train speeds, locations and movements.

In my role as the program chief executive, I’m overseeing the overall program while managing our scope of services such as construction management administration, quality control, safety and inspections. I’m helping our team identify obstacles and deliver solutions, so I constantly monitor the individual projects within our scope, such as replacing the legacy wayside signal system with CBTC, installing the new digital communications system and car-borne equipment, while also adding CBTC automatic train supervision at NYCT’s rail control center.

I’m someone who finds challenges and complex programs interesting. Replacing signaling systems would be complicated in any setting, but it’s made especially so because we are working on a 100-year-old transit system that operates 24 hours a day seven days a week, and we must coordinate with outside agencies to maintain service as well as with NYCT to minimize disruptions to passengers. With that in mind, it’s particularly rewarding to see this program continue to move along with work being completed on time and within budget.

The subway is the backbone of New York City, getting people where they need to go quickly and efficiently. It’s always been the case that when the subways function well, New York City prospers. I’m looking to the future with the completion of the Eighth Avenue CBTC signaling program because it will greatly improve the riding experience for passengers on the subway system. Modernizing the signaling system — which tells trains where to go, how fast they can go and identifies train locations — will make a major impact on subway rides.

Trains will be able to run more frequently and, because NYCT will have more insight into their location, the agency will be better equipped to troubleshoot if any issues arise. Although passengers on the Eighth Avenue line may not see the CBTC system or know how it works, they will know it’s there because they will see improvements in reliability, the frequency of subway service and in the reduction of crowding on subway cars.

Be open to taking on challenging projects and collaborating with more experienced professionals. Working on complex projects will help you develop new skills and hone those you already have. Connecting with senior professionals presents the opportunity to exchange ideas with those who have more industry experience. This may give you not only a new perspective on your work, but the possibility to gain a mentor within your field.

There are endless opportunities to do this at AECOM because we take on so many complex, interesting projects around the country and throughout the world, and we have a deep bench of experienced, talented professionals.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Jim Gravesande, P.E. appeared first on Blog.

Rob is a member of AECOM’s High Performance Buildings and Sustainability team that provides sustainability consulting services for planning, design and construction projects across a range of sectors, including infrastructure, commercial, education, transportation and hospitality. Prior to joining AECOM, he has worked for the City of Newark, New Jersey, as the Chief of Energy and Environment, spearheading Newark’s sustainable infrastructure work in energy, transportation/mobility, resiliency, telecommunications and conservation.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I studied mechanical engineering technology in college and was most interested in alternative energy resources, specifically residential and utility scale solar and development. Since this preceded the energy and decarbonization movement we’re seeing today, I started my career in the public sector focusing on establishing demand-side management projects aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of building systems in municipal and community facilities. These programs spanned from concept development through construction and included HVAC system improvements, lighting retrofits, building automation systems, renewable energy and other technologies.

There are many challenges in developing a deep energy retrofit project, especially incorporating renewable energy systems and innovative building technologies in a policy and regulatory environment that may add time and cost to the project. Finding solutions to reduce existing energy policy and regulatory challenges presented me with an opportunity to take on regulatory responsibilities with the City of Newark and later inspired me to seek out a more technical space to learn how to develop, design and build solutions to improve infrastructure assets in our communities. This led me to AECOM and our High Performance Building and Sustainability team.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

I especially enjoy all the work I’ve been doing with the Innovation Laboratory initiative (iLAB) team. With subject matter experts across disciplines and regions, the iLAB team provides innovation as a service to deliver High Performance and Net Zero Carbon projects that help clients reach their decarbonization goals.

Within the iLAB team, I’m part of a smaller group of practitioners, focused specifically on building systems. We use tools we’ve developed in-house, together with the ScopeX team, to identify optimization strategies (such as using alternative building materials) to decarbonize building assets. We present our clients with the business case for incorporating these strategies into the design work at the early stages of a project, expediting the conceptual design process. We also have life cycle assessment specialists on our team focusing on embodied carbon analysis, which is becoming more critical to our clients.

One example of an iLAB project is with the City of Richmond, Virginia, where we used a tool to help quantify potential carbon reductions and validate recommended net zero strategies. This work will help the city gain a better sense of reductions that could be achieved through policy changes, to help justify enacting sustainability regulations and reduce citywide emissions.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

The work that our teams are doing with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will affect this region for years to come. The Port Authority oversees aviation, marine ports, ferry operations, tunnels, bridges, terminals, passenger rail and commercial properties such as the World Trade Center for New York and New Jersey — it’s a huge economic engine for this region.

We are working with the Port Authority to establish a roadmap for how the agency can meet its aggressive net zero carbon reduction targets by 2050. This plan addresses all aspects of the agency’s operations and will help electrify equipment, transition to alternative fuels, make buildings more energy efficient, and mitigate air quality issues in environmental justice communities. As the first transportation agency committed to eliminating GHG emissions by 2050, the Port Authority will become an industry leader by implementing its Net Zero Roadmap.

As a resident of New Jersey, it’s great to have a hand in keeping people moving, sustainably. 45 percent of our pollution in New Jersey comes from trucks and buses, so electrification of these vehicles will have a direct impact on air quality, particularly in cities like Newark. People will literally be able to breathe easier because of the work we’re doing, and that makes me happy.

Share a piece of career advice.

Be open to opportunities because you never know where they’ll take you. By saying no, you could be boxing yourself into a corner. When I started doing energy retrofit work, I had zero regulatory experience. My knowledge of policy and legislation was gained on the job, from digging into federal codes and guidelines to understand how they related to state and local governments, and how they could be interpreted, together with building codes, to gain more flexibility on specific projects.

When I was presented with an opportunity in the regulatory world, it was outside of my comfort zone and my area of expertise. But by staying open, I was able to learn all about the power of regulation, and this is key to some of the work I’m doing today. That’s just one example of being open to opportunities and communicating with leadership, whether it be your direct managers or leadership, about what you want to do and what you can do.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Rob Thomas appeared first on Blog.

This week, we are highlighting a program manager for technology and data center projects, Adam Way, from our Buildings + Places business. Adam and his team used their skills to deliver an expedited, mid-pandemic add/move/change program to upgrade facilities for one of our logistics clients. Launched at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, the effort involved working simultaneously at over 60 sites in 26 states across the U.S.

A registered civil engineer with more than 20 years of experience, Adam works at the intersection of people and technology. His team spans all geographies and employs advanced yet simple technologies to deliver services ranging from site selection and due diligence through building prototyping, detailed design and operational overhauls.

He is well-versed in industrial site development engineering, general infrastructure and inter-company coordination. His team broke geographical and organizational barriers, tapping into expertise and resources from around the world to quickly stand up virtual and co-located teams of professionals to support this challenging, fast-tracked program.

Tell us about a project that has impacted or been a major highlight of your career?

It would have to be the 2020 multi-site logistics facility improvements for a global technology client, where we studied, planned and designed uniform upgrades at over 60 active facilities in a matter of weeks. The program was identified about four months before the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the U.S. and, keeping an eye on the global horizon, we knew we had to move fast and plan well.

We pushed both real and perceived boundaries with creative, responsible resource and pipeline management. The result was a geographically and culturally diverse project team with more in common than they knew they had at the onset. The lessons learned and values affirmed at this stage enabled us to quickly scale up a round-the-clock project team that included more than 600 AECOM field technicians, engineers and architects from across the world. Our team was under contract and working in the field within a month.

As part of this project, my team and I evaluated delivery fleet electrification and incorporation of photovoltaic technologies, improved the working conditions for the client’s employees, phased the construction planning to minimize client’s operational downtime, maximize revenue and enhance customer service.

We also established a “project toolbox” of client-facing KPI trackers that allowed us to plan and execute the work in spite of the challenges presented by the pandemic. Throughout this project, we demonstrated that we can quickly form talented teams and have systems in place to collaborate and respond to our clients’ needs. In short, this program formed the identity that we have today.

What was a key challenge you/your team faced while working on this project? How did you solve it?

Executing a fieldwork-intensive program during the pandemic was a major challenge that we were able to turn into a major achievement. In March of 2020, we had dozens of people deployed in the field and suddenly the airports, restaurants and gas stations all shut down.

Our journey management, safety and contingency plans enabled us and our clients’ management teams to safeguard our employees and the project, making sound decisions based on risk, schedule and cost data in order to hit the standard. As a result, our employees remained safe in the field, knowing they knew they were supported by our Safety, Health & Environment (SH&E) officers, our human resources team and their own local business and operations leaders.

When the pandemic hit, we brought people home safely and were able to regroup. Within a few weeks, we formed a remobilization plan with the approval of AECOM and client executives — and despite the global shutdown — we ultimately delivered a successful program.

How has AECOM enabled you and your teams to cultivate the expertise needed to deliver the project — and future work like it?

AECOM’s unique combination of reinvestment into our people and technology drives our team’s expertise and capabilities across geographies. As a firm, we sponsor specialized training, mentorship, and team building within and across the thousands of organizational possibilities, so that we all can thrive. The 2020 multi-site program is one of many examples of the success of this readiness.

I participated in the 2018-19 Lift Program, one of AECOM’s executive readiness tracks and, coincidentally, our program group’s capstone for the year was a study in how to quickly assemble and mobilize our company’s major project teams amidst known and unknown headwinds — an example of firm-driven insight that proved to be fundamental in delivering the program for this logistics client.

Focusing on our core value of Innovate, our company also represents and develops digital solutions to address our clients’ legacy, current and future challenges. The availability of enterprise-level technology subscriptions such as Power BI, ArcGIS and Autodesk Construction Cloud also plays a big role in advancing our work.

High-powered design and quality automation tools, along with dashboards like SmartSheets and AECOM in.Site^TM are part of our everyday workflows. This program, in fact, resulted in digital innovations that now drive quality workflows within our region and are being evaluated for standard adoption across AECOM globally.

How has this experience shaped your approach to future work?

There’s a saying that “great leaders create more leaders, not followers.” Working on this logistics program really accelerated the careers of the team members who spoke up with their best ideas — and had the resourcefulness and initiative to make them work. Many have taken on lead roles in comparable and even exponentially larger programs. It’s brought a real can-do, no-blame culture across our teams.

Years later, we’re using these same core values to answer our technology clients’ toughest questions around regional trends, geopolitics, and lingering supply chain and corporate real estate issues, including a multi-geography prototyping and bridging documents design project for a first-of-kind data center fleet. These aren’t just designs, they’re reliable, repeatable solutions that hold their value and relevance throughout complex, end-to-end client organizations.

We triangulate across our own regional and global design and decision hubs to expedite knowledge and culture transfer, regardless of the project’s origin and location. The success of the logistics program helped us expand our design and engineering capabilities and advance knowledge share among developing teams across all our geographies. We train, support and empower teams to propagate into self-sustaining operations.

Maintaining and strengthening these internal relationships allows us to connect with other parts of our global business doing the same work and pair them with each other. It’s another way we provide best-in-class client support, and collaborate and innovate to deliver for our clients.

The post Deep Dive with Adam Way appeared first on Blog.

Eric is the Director of our Buildings + Places office in Barcelona, Spain. He is an all-round architect with experience in a variety of sectors such as sports, residential and healthcare. With a personal interest in patient experience design, he has become a valuable member of our European Healthcare team by securing various projects for the sector in Spain.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

Architecture is tangible. When trying to decide what to study at university, I was attracted to the idea of creating things that would be built and be there, rather than work on business transactions that would be intangible.

Later, as an architecture student, my tutor, who later became my great friend, Professor Alan Brookes told me that architects are very fortunate because they design the spaces where people love, dance, feel … live, in short. If you think of that, it is a privilege to be an architect.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

Every project I work on seems to be even more interesting than the previous one, so my favorite keeps changing. My current favorite is the work we are doing for the Medical Emergency System (SEM) headquarters in Barcelona, which will enable the organization to handle all emergency calls and coordination of the emergency response required.

This 5.6-acre (23,000-square-meter) building is a key infrastructure project for the region, designed to be resilient in case of any catastrophe. It is a very challenging project because it is a fast-track construction — we are designing it as it is being built — which will be delivered in only nine months.

AECOM’s scope in this project covers many disciplines from design through to completion, such as architecture (jointly with a Barcelona based company b720 Fermín Vazquez Arquitectos), MEP, structural engineering, cost management and sustainability. As the project director, my role is to ensure full coordination between the client, the contractor and our design team to ensure that all the project objectives are met on time, within budget and to the expected levels of quality.  

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

During the pandemic, we were appointed to design and build a small primary care center in Barcelona as part of the emergency response to COVID-19. With only 3,875 square feet (360 square meters) of space, this healthcare infrastructure provided the community with nine new consult rooms, which were key to the testing, triaging and diagnosing of COVID-19 patients in a new and safe facility. Prior to the construction of this building, such activities were done in a set of tents erected on the street, so our project was a key contribution to the comfort of patients, families and healthcare professionals.

The building was designed and manufactured off-site over a period of only 12 weeks, resulting in a set of 11 modules of approximately 49 feet by 16 feet (15 meters by 5 meters) each, which were then transported and assembled in the center of the city in only 36 hours. When our modules arrived at their final location and were hoisted over a five-story building to be assembled on the ground behind, it felt like help was coming from the sky.

Share a piece of career advice.

Care for everything you do and take the time and make an effort to ensure that everything you do speaks highly of you, your team and AECOM. It will not go unnoticed.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Eric Trillo appeared first on Blog.

Craig Owen leads a team of project managers delivering a diverse portfolio of projects for the UK’s Central Government clients. He is also the Justice and Blue Light Sector Lead for the region. Alongside his role at AECOM, he is a Captain in the Army Reserve. During his career, he has also led projects in a variety of international locations including Bangkok, Nairobi, Mombasa and the Caribbean.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I always had an interest in science and math whilst growing up, and I also wanted to work in an industry where I could impact the world around me. This inspired me to join the industry as a bridge engineer. Working for AECOM as an engineer allowed me to use my skills to contribute to projects that make a difference to the world.

After becoming a chartered engineer, I found that I enjoyed leading teams and setting the strategy of a project more than the technical design. This led to me changing my role within AECOM and joining a different team as a project manager. I really enjoy the unique challenges that come with each project and having full responsibility for its success.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

I am really enjoying supporting my team in delivering projects for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which are essential to providing a safe and secure environment for rehabilitating prisoners. The diverse projects include new build prison expansions, refurbishments of existing buildings, fire system upgrades, decarbonization projects and rapid deployment modular cell projects.

As the client account manager for the MoJ, I am also responsible for ensuring that AECOM is set up to best support thm in achieving their objectives. We recently hosted a collaboration day with the MoJ and some of the other suppliers we work with. It was enjoyable and rewarding to plan how we can best collaborate to enable rehabilitation through our projects.

I’m proud of the work we are doing to deliver social value through our projects and support rehabilitation by providing mentoring and employment skills training in prisons. I am on the employment advisory board of a prison and exploring how AECOM can provide employment opportunities for people completing their sentence.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

I led a programme of projects as part of the British Virgin Islands recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The projects provided security and safety for the community ahead of the following hurricane season whilst supporting the longer-term recovery of the community.

The work included repairs to police stations and government buildings and procurement of debris clearance contracts and communications equipment. The projects were the first to be delivered under the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency, a transparent and accountable specialist project implementation agency created to respond to the unique challenges faced by the community.

I saw first-hand how our work positively impacted the community as I was in the Caribbean for two months. The AECOM team worked tirelessly in a challenging environment to significantly impact the community and recovery of the region. I’m proud to have been part of this.

Share a piece of career advice.

My advice would be to take ownership of your career and set your own standard in everything you do. Early in your career, mastering the basics will lead to further opportunities to develop your skills and experience. It can only be you that drives yourself forward to develop to your full potential, people will help and guide you, but it needs to be you that does the hard work.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Craig Owen appeared first on Blog.

Teresa is the lead for the Hospitality and Residential sector in our Buildings + Places business line in Madrid. Her role also includes developing and strengthening client relationships, developing proposals, and coordinating capabilities both at regional and international level. She is also engaged in our social value strategy planning supporting local initiatives and projects that strengthen and positively impact the local community. Teresa is an active member of the Spanish industry association Women in Real Estate, an organization that promotes visibility of women in the sector and provides collaborative mentoring programs for women at the early stages of their career.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I decided I wanted to be an architect as a teenager when I discovered my passion for architecture. I was drawn to its unique blend of engineering, history, arts and creativity. While many may share similar sentiments, something within me truly resonated with this realization. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate how being an architect is like conducting an orchestra. It involves coordinating numerous areas, disciplines, consultants and specialists, all while constantly learning and evolving.

What truly captivates me about our industry, and the endless opportunities that working at AECOM presents, is the power we have to shape the world. Whether it’s through grand-scale projects that shape entire territories and cities, or more intimate endeavors that impact people’s daily lives, our profession empowers us to make a meaningful difference.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

This is a tough question! Choosing just one project at AECOM is incredibly difficult. Each project team feels like a close-knit family, where we all collaborate and continuously learn from one another every day. I started my career at AECOM in 2014 working on the 7-star Crescent Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan. Having only previously worked in smaller architectural practices, I was astounded by the incredible team and sense of camaraderie. Each day presented unique challenges that pushed our creativity and called for innovative solutions, fostering a continuous learning environment.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working on projects in Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Colombia, Italy, and most recently, Spain. Regardless of the location, the same familial atmosphere permeates every AECOM project. We are a diverse and multicultural team, where we constantly learn new approaches, ways of working and collaborating. That’s what makes it amazing to work here.

Tell us a story of how your work has positively impacted the community.

As part of my role supporting the delivery and achievement of our social value strategy, I am involved in providing architectural and construction services to local organizations that support underserved children and women. We are currently supporting several projects in an area known as La Cañada, the largest shanty neighborhood in Europe, a mere 15 minutes from the heart of Madrid. By renovating educational and healthcare facilities for the children in this area, we can play a small role in enhancing their daily lives and generate positive impacts for local women and families.

One such project was the refurbishment of an existing building to provide more classrooms, facilities and a better environment for volunteers, children and families. Those children do not always have access to education, and we provided a safe space where they can be free to learn about and explore the world around them. Because of these improved facilities, the volunteers can care for the children while their mothers can take the time to complete training — cooking, language, etc., that will help them develop new skills and integrate in the society.

I am extremely proud to be actively involved in these community projects, bringing together team members of all disciplines and career levels.

Share a piece of career advice.

As an advocate for women’s careers in architecture and engineering, I want to ask all women who want to pursue a career in this industry to be optimistic and believe in what you do. A quote from Hellen Keller, the American author and activist that motivates me, is, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope.” As architects, we possess the extraordinary ability to shape the world around us, and by being optimistic and pursuing meaningful goals, we can truly make a difference.

Believing in yourself and in what you do is essential. We need to remember that each project holds the potential to impact lives on all levels and create sustainable legacies for future generations.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Teresa Gonzalez Magallanes appeared first on Blog.

Managing transit programs is a complex craft, and delivering programs on time and within budget is easier said than done. In my decades of experience working on highly complex transit programs around the world, I’ve found that mastering these three C’s — creating, coordinating and communicating — is the surest path to successful program delivery. Here’s how my teams and I applied these principles to our work on the Metro Line 3 in India, the first underground metro line in Mumbai, to keep this ambitious program moving forward.

Creating
Effective program management on infrastructure programs requires the ability to create innovative solutions that keep work on track and minimize disruptions to daily life around the project site. That’s exactly what we provided for Mumbai Metro Line 3. We added above-ground roadway platforms that allowed vehicular traffic to continue flowing even as we were tunneling 98.5 feet (30 meters) below, creating twin tunnels nearly 21 miles (33.5 kilometers) in length. Our innovation prevented road closures that would have greatly inconvenienced the community, enabling people to continue accessing work, school and other destinations as tunneling and construction work progressed underground.

Coordinating
Transit programs are by their very nature multifaceted and frequently overlap across the jurisdictions of a myriad of local, state and federal government agencies. Whether it’s a transit program in Mumbai, Dubai, London or New York City, having first-hand knowledge of each agency’s priorities, operations and expectations is the surest way to establish coordination plans that minimize project delays and reduce cost overruns. For the Metro Line 3 project, closely coordinating our work with the Bandra Kurla Complex, a business and residential district in Mumbai, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the governing civic body of Mumbai, enabled us to manage and adapt tunneling methods and hours so that vital tunneling work could proceed as planned, allowing this critical program to remain on schedule.

Communicating
Establishing a culture of communication, which includes sharing ideas and tackling potential program concerns together, helps advance a unified team. This was the case with the now-completed Sahar Road crossover for Mumbai Metro Line 3, which allows trains to switch tracks up and down the line. The crossover project included two 744-foot-long (227-meter) caverns made up of six different sections. Its mountainous terrain and water drainage requirements added to the intricacy. Communication across the 30-member consultant and contractor team allowed us to establish a consensus on the complex crossover design, construction planning and logistics management, which allowed this critical portion of the Line 3 project to advance on time and within budget.

Capability is the linchpin
While creativity, coordination and communication are important, they must be backed up by a fourth important “C,” capability: the resources and knowledge to deliver a successful transit program. At AECOM, our decades of experience and depth of knowledge delivering transit programs across the world — Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North and South America — affords us a unique ability to provide tailored solutions, manage the unexpected and meet evolving client needs on infrastructure programs of all scales and scopes. By combining our extensive program management experience with global expertise and local insights, we can provide the type of uniquely tailored solutions needed to meet any challenge that arises — assuring we can deliver transit programs that benefit communities for years to come.

The post Three principles to successful program management and delivery appeared first on Blog.

With 50 years of experience, particularly in road engineering and engineering structures, Denis’ passion, patience and determination have enabled him to mentor many young engineers throughout his career. When you meet him, his enthusiasm for his profession quickly becomes contagious, and he has been transferring his knowledge and passion for his work to others for decades.

In the last 30 years, Denis’ activities have focused exclusively on road infrastructure. In Quebec, he has been responsible for several projects relating to Highways 10, 15, 20 and 40 in Montreal, and Highways 20 and 85 in eastern Quebec.

Tell us about what inspired you to join AECOM and stay?

I was already working for a company, but I decided to join AECOM and I chose to stay. It was a conscious choice because I believed AECOM was my future. There were several moments throughout my career that solidified my desire to stay with the company, such as the way new employees were treated with respect during their integration phase, the increased opportunities for a career in engineering and the continued support of colleagues in the Quebec City and Montreal offices in all the fields involved in my road projects.

I still share the same sentiment since I’m still here and have agreed to extend my mandate as an advisor for one of my current projects on Highway 85, a 100 km stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway linking Highway 20 (Rivière du Loup) to the New Brunswick border. This project is nearing completion (2025) of its Phase 3. AECOM has contributed to this project in various ways since 2002 as designer and construction supervisor for several sections, including environmental studies.

My 50 years with the company show that I believed and still believe that it is possible to have a long and successful career with AECOM. This great company operates around the world and offers many career opportunities.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

It goes without saying that in my 50-year career, I have worked on many interesting projects. The type of project was not so much what mattered the most to me, but rather the colleagues with whom I got to collaborate with, since team spirit is very important to me. I have enjoyed participating in all these projects throughout the years, whether in the field of hydraulics, hydroelectricity, urban engineering and, for the last 30 years, road engineering more specifically.

I would identify the projects related to the first road interchanges carried out in parallel on Highway 20 in the Montreal area for the municipalities of Baie D’Urfé and Beaconsfield as decisive mandates because they helped shape my career. The Morgan and Woodland interchanges and the modernization of commuter trains in the Montreal metropolitan area gave me the opportunity to start building my name in the industry and launched my career in road engineering.

The teamwork and collaboration involved in these two projects allowed us to win these two mandates in the first place and to meet the expectations of the client, the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec. It’s important to also believe in our abilities, together we can achieve great things.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

AECOM’s purpose is to deliver a world where infrastructure creates opportunity for everyone—uplifting communities, improving access and sustaining our planet. In the context of road networks, safety is crucial. The primary benefit is improved mobility of people and goods but ensuring both the mobility and safety of road users while respecting the surrounding environment is the key positive aspect of this type of work. The mitigation measures implemented ensure people are compensated for their losses or damages.

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is an automated light rail system with 26 universally accessible stations across Greater Montreal.  When it opens, it will significantly enhance sustainable mobility in the greater Montreal area. Through interconnection with bus systems, commuter trains and the Montreal metro, it will help reduce congestion and reduce GHG emissions to help accelerate Quebec’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

My role consisted of reconfiguring the profile of the carriageways that crossed the railway tracks at the level of crossing to increase the safety of road users.

This goes in line with AECOM’s Sustainable Legacies (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy.

Based on your experience working here for the past 50 years, how has AECOM’s work in Transportation transformed to deliver a better world?

At the beginning of my career, we used to assess and deliver projects based primarily on the following criteria: project objective, schedule and costs. Today, our clients ask us to consider the impact on the environment, how to minimize it and what mitigation measures to propose. The company has been able to respond to those concerns by considering the environmental factor and involving specialized teams in all the phases of a project.

Share a piece of career advice.

Always be proud of your accomplishments no matter how small they may seem at first in a large company like AECOM. At the beginning of your career, these small projects are mainly about developing your skills, gaining insight and control over your projects. At AECOM, colleagues and specialists can advise you, answer your questions and help you make informed decisions about the problems you encounter or need to solve. You can also work on larger projects if that is your ambition. The company offers you great possibilities and many opportunities.

Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues, as they have allowed me to be who I am and provided encouragement for my professional development. Their support made it possible for me to now complete 50 years at AECOM.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Denis Thibeault appeared first on Blog.

For the past 21 years, Carolyn Stegon has worked at AECOM as a dedicated leader and change-maker in the industry. She was the program manager for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) $2 billion Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for nearly a decade, with a team of more than 40 employees crossing multiple business lines and AECOM offices in California.

Ms. Stegon began her career as a structural engineer and then progressed to a senior program and design manager role. Carolyn has provided services including budget development and tracking, marketing, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, design review, quality assurance, construction management and project close-out. Her responsibilities as a design manager have included reviewing and tracking the design team’s contracts, scopes of work, work authorizations and invoices and managing the A/E team through design.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

When I was in high school, I took part in AutoCAD drafting classes. This really interested me and I thought I wanted to be an architect. My high school professor saw my math and science skills directing me toward engineering. Once I entered college, Civil Engineering was a great fit. In my junior and senior years of college, I became interested in earthquake design and wondered, “How do buildings stand up during a major earthquake?” This led me to a summer internship at the University of California, Irvine, for the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research under the National Science Foundation.

Building wood shear walls and pouring concrete foundations that would be tested on earthquake shake tables was a dream come true. After college, I moved from Virginia to California and started a job as a structural engineer for AECOM. I have been with the company for more than two decades and I consider it a dream career.

What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?

My work on the CDCR program is a significant milestone in my career. I was appointed AECOM’s program director of CDCR’s CIP. AECOM, in a joint venture, provided professional services assisting CDCR in planning, designing, constructing, expanding and renovating correctional facilities across California to meet the needs of the correctional community, its families and the state. The program encompassed the Health Care Facility Improvement Program, in-fill projects and capital outlay projects.

I assisted in legislative budget packages for the Department of Funding Approval, provided CDCR specification updates, completed digital design reviews for all new and rehabilitation projects and led staff augmentations. By digitizing plan reviews, multiple reviews were conducted per week and easily managed through a streamlined process, creating a 75 percent reduction in cost associated with eliminating printing and shipping with parallel reviews in real time. There was also a 50 percent reduction in the design review schedules once moved to digital, with a maximum review duration per milestone of two weeks.

Throughout the program, going digital assisted greatly with streamlining processes and navigating any challenges. My team took full advantage of every aspect of AECOM’s technical expertise, cross-collaborating with Program and Project Management, Buildings + Places, Water and Environment business lines. Providing digital plan review services included bringing more than 25 licensed architects, engineers and specialty in-house technical reviewers to the team. All technical reviewers received consistent training and a framework to comment and back-check the subsequent submittals minimizing re-work and saving time. Our digital team wrote procedures, trained the technical reviewers, provided technical support and monitored quality in the review sessions.

Knowledge of the state process with all applicable Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) made the program successful. Understanding Chapter A of the California Building Code requirements and having OSPHD and DSA experience during our design and technical review helped identify key requirements and streamline the approval process.

To me, nurturing relationships with clients and teaming partners while building trust and collaboration within my direct team is paramount. The program highlights AECOM’s value, innovation and capability to provide various services and industry-leading experts on a diverse and complex program, including niche services like acoustical studies, asbestos/lead reports, stormwater pollution prevention plans, specification writing, fire alarm budget packages, implementation and training.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

Over the years, I have had the ability to design and construct key structures within the U.S., including schools, correction facilities, courthouses, air traffic control towers, aircraft hangers and many more. When working with the California Department of Corrections program, I worked on projects that added healthcare facilities to institutions across the state of California. These buildings evolve and improve the communities and people that use them.

Share a piece of career advice.

The architecture, engineering, and construction industry is so in-depth, and it is hard to know and be confident in all aspects. Over the course of my career, I have worked to stay consistently positive and “Give it a go!”

My advice is to be open to learning and trying new things, reach out to trusted colleagues and learn as much as possible. A major point I’ve learned in my career is that transparency and an optimistic outlook to resolve problems promote positive team morale, and as a team, all things are possible.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Carolyn Stegon appeared first on Blog.