The capability and strength of the team is demonstrated by expertise in SuDS (sustainable drainage systems), highways design and flood risk assessments. Ryan also manages the team’s finances and resourcing. Ryan: “I love the challenge of wearing lots of different hats in this job. You have to think outside the box — if you’re not learning, maybe you’re in the wrong place.”

Proactive and confident, Ryan engages in all aspects of project delivery — bidding, site attendance, client/contractor liaison, technical design and handover. An excellent communicator, he collaborates with suppliers, stakeholders and policy makers to ensure compliance with regulations and help drive innovations within the industry. He says, “We are exploring alternatives to traditional concrete and steel, working with manufacturers on sustainable ideas like using recycled materials or tanking with clays instead of plastic liners.”

He is also heading the development of our in-house civil engineering carbon-counting tool, noting, “There is little data available on the embodied and non-embodied carbon of civils, so we are researching the sustainability aspects of materials and looking at whole-site impact in relation to infrastructure.”

Ryan’s experience ranges from small-scale residential, high-rise commercial and office, to the regeneration of entire estates. His Whitby Wood projects include site-wide SuDS, attenuation and foundation design for Daedalus, Hampshire; sustainable rainwater harvesting and reuse at University of East London, Stratford; and S278 highways design for Forest Road, London. Previous projects include river diversions and flood assessments for Daventry International Rail & Freight Terminal; and a six-storey biochemistry research faculty at the University of Oxford.

Ryan looks for solutions not problems, and is always keen to absorb and share new ideas. He believes building a team with a good social fit is essential for winning work. Away from the office he enjoys travelling, playing five-a-side football and competing in badminton at a high level. He has lived and worked in the UK, USA, Spain and Tanzania.