|
"Perspectives"
|
|
|
"Perspectives"
|
|
RED DIRT GIRL
|
LESSONS LEARNEDI had some really great bosses and leaders in businesses I’ve worked in. The greatest thing I’ve learned from all of them is that it’s a great thing to have a passion, and it doesn’t matter what that is, a business will work to support it. All the greatest workplaces recognise that the human beings that make up their cohort are at their best when they’re happy and supported; I’ve tried to take that into my business, Grün Consulting, too.
And sometimes you don’t even have to “know” what your passion is, just follow your nose. I ended up in sustainability because I followed my interests – I got my first job because my prospective employer saw my environmental involvement at uni in my extra-curricular activities, and instead of taking me on as a hydraulics/mech grad they took me in as an ESD/mech grad. THAT was a big moment in my fledgling career that might have seen me head somewhere wholly different, or flounder completely – I’m no hydraulics engineer! After that, it’s been small and big steps in a similar direction with great support from colleagues, bosses and mentors. |
|
|
THE LEGEND
|
BACKGROUNDIn the 1940s, my one-mile walk to primary school each day took me across a railway line near the station at Preston, a suburb of Melbourne, and occasionally there would be a steam engine on the move to see. I was always impressed by the sight of steam and its power.
I guess I could say I grew up in an age of steam, when having finished secondary school I started work for a nearby company called Dreadnought Steam Equipment Company. I was a fitter and turner there – capstan lathes, milling machines, toolmaking, valve testing – and we manufactured steam valves and condensate traps and the like. I loved the work and the company wanted me to stay and advance with them, but I saw limitations and subsequently chose instead to undertake tertiary study at RMIT. I then secured in 1955 a cadet engineer position with the Federal Department of Works, completed the course and began my career as an Engineer grade 1 in 1959 working in the architectural/engineering drawing office in Exhibition St, Melbourne. I remained with ComWorks, in its many manifestations, until 1993 when that department was downsized. I then began a consultancy that is still active. |
AIRAH
|
|
PROBLEM SOLVER
|
PROFOUND CHANGESThere has been a huge shift in gender equality and the need for diversity in the industry over the past 10 years. Diversity within a team is desirable these days whereas when I first started my career, engineers were often expected to meet a stereotype. In addition to this, the skill set of an engineer has vastly changed with digitalisation, where communication skills are becoming more important than some technical elements
FULFILMENTIt’s the people I work with, clients, team members and seeing a solution unfold. Problem solving is fun.
|
MENTOR ADVICEGet your work peer-reviewed, and take a walk around the block before you finalise a design. A clear mind and fresh set of eyes can do wonders for a concept or even final project design solution.
AIRAHAIRAH is the go-to for Australian mechanical engineers in the building services industry, providing training resources, industry awards and events. I have found the most valuable outcome has been the network of people and industry connections I have made from my interactions and time as a member.
|
FAVOURITE PROJECTSK25, Bowen Hills was a great project to be involved in, considering the timber building structure and challenges we overcame to get the right solution.
I have worked with Telstra for many years looking after HVAC systems in the exchanges. I have always found these projects interesting, and enjoyed the challenge around providing efficient solutions where there is such a high constant sensible heat load. Most of the buildings are old and in acoustically sensitive areas, which makes the design solutions challenging. |
|
YOUNG ABLE TAS MAN
|
LESSONS LEARNEDFrom my boss Miles Harrison: “You won’t get every project 100 per cent right the first time, but what matters is what you do when a problem does arise.”
That is, when a problem does arise, don’t try to deflect responsibility but simply get on with finding a solution. However, it is very important to keep good records of calculations and design decisions for later reference because when it comes to it, it could make the difference between having to pay for a variation and/or a damaged reputation. Also, contractors have installed a heck of a lot more mechanical systems than you – the consulting engineer – have, so don’t be afraid to ask for their opinion. AIRAHBeing part of AIRAH has given me great connections into the contracting side of HVAC, as Tasmania has a great percentage of contractors involved in division events. This has ultimately meant that I have developed good working relationships with most of the mechanical contractors in southern Tasmania, which has been invaluable.
Building owners rarely seem to keep good records of mechanical as-installed drawings; however, if you know the who the maintenance contractor is you can usually get them within the hour. |
FULFILMENTWorking with clients – normally architects – to make sexy solutions that everyone is on board with. Not everyone is an HVAC engineer and might not want to see all the services exposed, so it’s very satisfying when we can work together to hide services out of site, but still get good acoustic and thermal performance.
PROFOUND CHANGESEven in the fairly short time I’ve been involved, we have seen a vast change in controls technology getting smaller, cheaper and more flexible. I’m building a house currently, and every fan/light/AC system will be voice-controllable, for maybe $4,000 all up. That wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago.
More recently we have seen the changes around COVID-19. We have quickly seen everyone getting on board with working remotely and using technology more heavily in day-to-day work. Although it is not as efficient with the design team all working remotely, many client/architect meetings that can drag on for hours can be done far more efficiently with a video call and screen sharing. |
FAVOURITE PROJECTSMy two favourite projects recently have been the Repatriation Hospital and Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre.
For the Repatriation Hospital (AIRAH Awards 2019 HVAC Upgrade finalist) we replaced 2 x 1200kW electric boilers with 2 x heat recovery chillers, which gave the Department of Health massive energy savings and huge improvement to thermal comfort, as it was coupled with air handling upgrades on the floors. The Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre (finished) and Dove Lake Viewing Shelter (under construction) are two high-profile projects for Parks and Wildlife that have some interesting specialist mechanical systems including hydronic floor heating and window anti-condensation system to keep the view of Dove Lake picture-perfect in all conditions. |
|
DIVINE WORK
|
BACKGROUNDBorn in England, lived on Tyneside with a brief sojourn to Leeds where I started high school. Finished school at year 10 back on Tyneside and almost completed a pre-apprenticeship at Hebburn Technical College before migrating to Western Australia at age 15, my first ever flight was London to Perth, a real eye-opener travelling on my own.
I had my 16th birthday on the road to Wittenoom in the Pilbara. Started work the next day for Australian Blue Asbestos – the “Blue Sky Mine” of the Midnight Oil song. I left home on decimal currency conversion day a few months later and moved through various jobs in agriculture, construction and oil exploration, before finding myself back in the Pilbara working on the construction of the Port of Dampier ore-loading facilities, where I was introduced to R&AC. Eventually I completed an apprenticeship with Hamersley Iron (now RIO) as a refrigeration mechanic and moved to Perth a few months after cyclone Trixie gave us a very sleepless night. I worked for Direct Engineering Services in Perth – the company that started manufacturing air conditioners that became APAC – as a tradesman, service manager and contract supervisor. I then moved into education and training when I successfully applied for a lecturing position at Perth Technical College. In my 40 years with TAFE I have been involved in teaching, curriculum development, secondment to special projects, management and resource development, including the national textbook project that produced Australian Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. I completed a bachelor’s degree in education and more recently with a change of focus completed a degree in theology and was ordained as an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Perth. |
AIRAHAIRAH has been an integral part of my career, especially in education and training. It has always been a requirement for TAFE to work closely with industry – how else do we keep up with change, maintain our currency and meet the needs of employers?
AIRAH has been a vehicle for me to maintain that close contact with the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. I have learned much, met great people and had the opportunity to contribute to our industry through my involvement. Much has changed in our industry since we crawled out of the cold store, but AIRAH has adapted and changed with the times. It hasn’t always been perfect but as an organisation we have endured due to the wise counsel of those who have taken up the baton of leadership. It is a great achievement to reach the Centenary and we look forward to AIRAH continuing to change and adapt towards the next 100 years. |
|
FIRST FEDERAL
|
The NT's Jenny Smith, M.AIRAH, continues to surprise people. |
BACKGROUNDI’m the first female fridgie for the federal government. I had a dream apprenticeship working within the industrial, commercial and domestic arenas. I did my trade in Darwin and loved it. I went on to teach at TAFE and helped inject many women into non-traditional careers. I have my own business, About Airconditioning, and still surprise people when I show up to work on a project.
|
LESSONS LEARNEDMy tradesman used to tell me to walk into a plant room and listen, feel and look, because the system will tell you its story.
My TAFE lecturer used to say we are “bucketloads full of heat mechanics”. My Mum used to tell me to treat people with encouragement and respect. |
FULFILLMENTWorking with my hands, thinking out a problem and finding the root cause. Being good at diagnosis and remedy is my favourite thing.
|
PROFOUND CHANGEI’ve watched ammonia come back into fashion and the digital era revolutionise control systems.
|
FAVOURITE ASSIGNMENTSAnything customised or different always draws my full attention. Controls and sensors; it’s amazing how much information we can gather that can further the efficiency of a system. If you can think it, it can be done.
|
AIRAHAIRAH has been supportive of women, and has been mentoring them to better represent in HVAC&R. We have so much to offer in this space, and it’s a rewarding career that needs to be considered.
|
|
CONFIDENT COLLABORATOR
|
FAVOURITE ASSIGNMENTSThe Coliseum Theatre at West HQ, Rooty Hill. Not only has this theatre had a huge impact on the arts scene in the western suburbs and Sydney in general, but it was also an incredible project to be involved in. The huge open foyer area and multiple usage requirements for the theatre space resulted in a very challenging design brief. Working through those challenges to deliver a visually stunning and technically difficult solution for the air handling and controls systems was very rewarding.
FULFILMENTBringing ideas to life and being able to measure successful performance.
|
PROFOUND CHANGESCollaboration. I see owners, designers and builders working a lot more collaboratively to meet tight energy performance criteria.
LESSONS LEARNEDThe most important message that’s been imparted to me is that no one is qualified for a job until they’ve done it, so stand up and say “yes”. The rest will sort itself out – with hard work and dedication. And we don’t have to have all of the answers all of the time. It’s OK to say, “I'll get back to you on that.”
|
AIRAHBeing involved with AIRAH has presented me with a lot of opportunities. From arranging events to presenting at conferences and now serving on the board. On a personal level, I've met some of my closest friends through my involvement with AIRAH and their encouragement, support and willingness to share their knowledge has helped me immensely throughout my career.
|
|
THE NARRATOR
|
BACKGROUNDI’m a mechanical engineer with additional qualifications in building services and environmental management. I worked in both the consulting and contracting sides of the HVAC&R industry before moving into technical publishing and project management.
Having moved to Australia from Ireland in 1990, I got married, had three kids and made a tree change to a regional area in 2001. I now work in a small consultancy providing engineering advice, technical writing and project management services to a range of government and non-government clients. As a technical writer and project manager I have managed a number of projects for AIRAH, working with AIRAH members to develop technical guidance on HVAC&R applications, energy efficiency, water conservation, and development of education and training programs. I am currently working with AIRAH as the project leader for the Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling (i-Hub). I’m helping AIRAH bring together leading universities, researchers, consultants, building owners and equipment manufacturers to create a connected research and development community in Australia. LESSONS LEARNED, WISDOM IMPARTEDA few come to mind:
|
PROFOUND CHANGESWithout a doubt – digitisation. I remember a single shared computer in a computer room when I first went to university, and now we all walk around with computers in our pockets. The melding of computer and machine is relentless and changes everything we do. From very basic early calculators the industry has developed and adopted a range of digital tools such as load estimation, CFD analysis, CAD and evolving to modelling of building and systems for building design, construction and increasingly remote sensing and control for building operation and intelligent buildings.
The other profound change has been the recognition of the environmental impact that the industry has had, and continues to have. While refrigeration and HVAC services saves lives and improves health and productivity, both are rapidly growing sectors and are responsible for large chunks of energy use and global CO2 emissions. However, with refrigerants and energy use moving to top of mind, solutions integrating HVAC with onsite energy storage and renewable energy generation assets are beginning to add up, technically and economically. AIRAHI’ve been associated with AIRAH for over 25 years and in a range of capacities: as an industry liaison, as an AIRAH project manager and as an AIRAH member. I have collaborated with a wide range of AIRAH members and staff over the years, when developing AIRAH Application Manuals or other AIRAH projects.
For me AIRAH is somewhere between workmate and extended family member. Congratulations AIRAH, and all her supporters, on great work over the last 100 years! |