Tell us a little about your formative years as a bridge designer. Did you have a mentor or someone
you are grateful to for assisting you early in your career? How important do you see the mentoring
process in developing young design engineers?
When looking to join bridge design consultants in 1969 I applied to the main stream British consultants
at that time but they were suspicious of why I had studied architecture. My lucky break came when I
was interviewed by Jorgen Nissen of Arup. I still remember downplaying my architectural interest at the
interview but it dawned on me that Jorgen was just as interested in architecture as in engineering. I
was offered a job with Arup and this was my lucky break into bridge engineering.
In Arup bridge engineers I found my soul mates and Jorgen has had a big influence on my development
as a bridge designer. In the collegiate atmosphere of Arup and in the formative years I was also helped
and influenced by colleagues such as Sharad Srinivasan, Robert Benaim, Bill Smyth, Victor Nassim,
Klaus Falbe-Hansen, Angus Low. There is no doubt that mentoring and support in the early years of
one’s career is important in the development and flowering of an engineer.
Who (has) inspired you most and how?
It is difficult to name a single person but probably Ove Arup himself was the greatest inspiration. The
Sydney Opera House was also what initially attracted me to Arup, and to this day I appreciate his desire
for a holistic approach to design where every facet of design and delivery is equally important.
Who has most influenced your thinking, methods?
This is most probably Jorgen Nissen. He too is in the Scandinavian tradition of designers who combine
form and function in neat, uncluttered and understated ways to create bridges that in their setting,
proportion and looks are pleasing to all and not just the practised eye. The works of Nervi, Leonhardt
and Candela were also influential especially for concrete bridges.
What is your favourite historic bridge, and why?
It has and still is the Forth Railway Bridge across the Firth of Forth in Edinburgh. As engineers we are
aware it is over designed but it is a marvel of engineering in its functionality and proportions and
pleasing to the eye from any viewpoint and its setting with the red colour against the snow capped low
hills is especially a delight.
Which bridge or other structure most influenced your early career, is it still an influence?
I wish I was the designer of the Golden Gate suspension bridge in San Francisco. To this day it looks
majestic in its setting and the proportions are just right. It is influential in the sense that it is an
engineering object, yet still has artistic appeal which is what one wants to create.
What is the most personally satisfying project you have worked on? Why?
It is the Queensferry Crossing across the Firth of Forth which was opened to traffic in September 2017.
It holistically combines considerations of affordability, visual compatibility with the existing rail and
road bridges, innovative structural concepts and state of the art construction methods and the support
by the visionary client, Transport Scotland.
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