Women in Engineering Day 2021
Wintech are fortunate enough to have a workforce with a wide and impressive skill set and we take pride in the diversity of our professional team.
June 23rd marks International Women in Engineering Day and an opportunity to draw attention to the inspiring achievements of some of the colleagues of the Wintech organisation including a Façade Engineer and our Sustainability Consultant.
Nitisha Vedula, Façade Engineer
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering and the façade industry in particular?
I have always been curious about intricate designing and detailing which lead me to architecture for my bachelor’s study. After wandering through different fields of architecture as an intern (which includes interior designing, heritage and conservation, sustainable architecture, green schools), I found my consistent curiosity in façade engineering. I feel to be a part of both worlds: architecture and technical engineering.
What was your career path to get to where you are now?
I started my career as an architect 13 years back, where I had an opportunity to work closely with the veteran vernacular architect Jimmy Lim in Malaysia. A few of my other favourite projects from my architecture tenure are Virasat-E-Khalsa (It is a museum for Sikhism, designed by architect Moshe Safdie) and my bachelor thesis on Green Schools.
I entered the façade industry as a Building Envelop Architect & Analyst 8 years back in India. The frugal approach in my country was impeccable, but I wanted to globalise my understanding, especially in the field of climate-responsive façades. That is when I decided to move to Germany in the year 2015 for pursuing a master’s degree in Façade Engineering. The felicitation with the Best Student award and a job at Schueco made all the struggle to move to Germany, worth it. I was also selected from my university for a short-term research mission on adaptive façades in Portugal, organised by COST TU (European Facade Network).
Parallel to my master’s studies, I started working at Schueco as a Façade Engineer in their custom solutions department for projects across the globe, but majorly for the Nordic countries. In March 2021, during the pandemic, I decided to take the next suitable step in my career as a façade consultant, and I decided to join Wintech and move to the UK.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Façade engineering is a vast field with extremely limited expertise. Also, the international exposure, understanding and experience this job has and it will provide me are what I enjoy the most about it.
What is it like working at Wintech?
Wintech is a hub of influential and expert façade engineers. The colleagues are really welcoming, kind and supportive. Coming with a limited knowledge of a system design developer, I really enjoy working in a room full of varied expertise and culture.
Medha Gayathri Nilayamgode, Sustainability Consultant
What does your job involve?
My role involves helping reduce the Carbon impact of Wintech projects by identifying carbon-intensive materials and processes, providing energy and Carbon emission calculation related services, assessing the thermal performance of façades, and guiding the business towards a Zero-Carbon practice.
What inspired you to pursue a career in sustainability and the façade engineering industry in particular?
I come from an architectural background. I have always been conscious of sustainability and the lack of sustainable practice in the construction industry baffled me. Environmental sustainability is a leading concern for the world now. Government legislations and are yet to catch up with this need. We need to affect change now if we are to achieve the global sustainability targets.
I arrived in the façade industry purely by chance, through a sustainability related research placement from university. I am glad of this development as façades play a major role in the environmental impact of a building.
What was your career path to get to where you are now?
I started my career in India, in academia, and later moved to architectural practice to gain industry experience. Upon noticing the lack of sustainable practice in the industry, I decided to pursue post-graduation in sustainability to learn how I can contribute to the movement through my profession. I moved to the UK and joined for MSc Modern Building Design at the University of Bath, which focussed on low-Carbon design. The course was a good blend of architecture, technical knowledge, academics, and research. There, I got the opportunity to work in the industry on a research placement, which brought me to Wintech. I have been continuing my research from that time, while also venturing into other aspects of sustainability.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
We live in a world with an unsure future, and eco-guilt is very prominent. Knowing that my job makes a difference in the world gives me a lot of satisfaction. I am glad to be able to contribute in my own little way.
What is it like working at Wintech?
A first job in a new country is always stressful, and joining work in the middle of a pandemic does not help. But the people here have been so welcoming and helpful, and I believe that I can learn a lot from each and everyone. Everyone is friendly and always ready to clarify any doubts.
You can also take a look back at some of our previous years’ interviews:
https://www.wintech-group.com/news/2020/06/celebrating-women-at-wintech/
https://www.wintech-group.com/news/2015/06/equality-in-engineering/