Profile : Kelly Harrison

Kelly describes her background, how she became an engineer and how her focus on timber construction came about. As the article says, “From ‘topping up’ buildings with lightweight extensions to pushing the case for education in timber design, Kelly Harrison wants wood to be a mainstream structural material.”

She is a regular contributor at timber conferences and a Member of the Board of Timber Development UK (TDUK), as well as sitting on the Supply Chain Decarbonisation Task Group of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) — and her expertise includes to the engineering design of steel and hybrid structures, and refurbishment and retrofitting projects. Significant design milestones include the all-timber Anthony Timberlands Center at the University of Arkansas, and the launch of the Optoppen web-based tool.

Sustainability in construction is also a passion. Kelly is currently building a new advisory service at Whitby Wood, built around a proactive sustainability strategy that includes whole-life carbon. “It will enable clients – including investors and planners – to meet funding and regulatory requirements, make informed investment decisions, and protect the value of their assets; as well as find the most sensible route to making a development resilient.”

Kelly Harrison
by Helena Russell
The Structural Engineer, Volume 103, Issue 8, August 2025
Available for download at : istructe.org/journal/