Nila is a Graduate Engineer in our buildings team in Singapore. She is working on some of Southeast Asia’s largest data centre projects and learning new skills along the way. Learn more about Nila and how she wants to shape a more sustainable built environment.
What did you study and where?
I studied Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore.
Why did you choose the Arup graduate programme?
During university, I attended at graduate recruitment talk from Arup to understand the firm’s disciplines. It gave me an opportunity to talk to some of the leaders and one thing became clear quickly: total architecture is a key philosophy in the firm’s designs. I realised Arup would be the right place to start my career with so many opportunities to learn from different disciplines.
What do you get up to in your day-to-day role?
I work in the Buildings Structures team in Singapore, and I have worked on a variety of projects, including Singapore’s Changi Airport, data centres, industrial factories, and infrastructure and railways. We approach every project differently and this constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone. Every day is different as I get to do a mix of design work, site visits and working with clients. My team is supportive and encourages me to expand my skills and experiences.
What has been your most enjoyable moment/project so far?
When I started working on data centre projects, my leaders encouraged me to learn a new skill – computational fluid dynamics. It was challenging at first, but it has become one of my favourite moments of the graduate development programme. I get to validate the designs I have been working and provide clients with valuable feedback. The technologies used in data centres are constantly evolving, and this challenged me to rethink designs and strengthen my technical skills. As I was upskilling, I could approach anyone from across the globe, and they were always willing to share their knowledge readily. This experience has made me appreciate the strong global network we have.
What are your future aspirations?
Buildings account for a substantial amount of global greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve sustainable outcomes, we will need to get the basics rights. From day one on a project, I want to design every building with sustainable development in mind and achieve their goals. In the future, I want to create a positive impact on the world and being in the buildings team gives me the most practical way of achieving this.