In Conversation with Gavin Murphy

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Beach, sunshine, and a beer

2. What’s your favourite holiday memory?Sunrise Safari in Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania was incredible, with amazing scenery and loads of animals, it was a brilliant experience.

3. What are you reading? Would you recommend it?Nothing currently but Unlearn by Barry O’Reilly and the new Ross O’Carroll Kelly books are on the list!

4. Which talent would you most like to have?I'd like to be able to sing, I like doing it, alone, in the car, when nobody’s there to hear how bad I am!

5. What do you consider to be your greatest professional achievement to date?Winning ICIA Designer of the year in 2019 was a very special personal achievement.

6. What practice area do you specialise in and why does it matter?

Building Services Engineering - I specialise in delivering sustainable building services solutions for buildings in the urban built environment. it matters as the building services are what bring buildings to life and deliver the functionality people need to work or live in their building. We also have a substantial role in improving the energy and carbon performance of buildings which is something I’m extremely passionate about.

7. What is the quality you most admire in a leader?
Honesty & passion

8. What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever been given?
Own your own career

9. Name your favourite building (international only + why?)
Probably World Trade Centre 3 in Jakarta as it was the first high-rise (44 levels) project I delivered as building services lead so is a special project for me. Honourable mention to Shanghai World Financial Center but mainly because its lifts are awesome! (double-decker’s with adjustable floor levels and ~20m/s).

10. Tell us something not many people know about you.
I originally wanted to be an Architect! Thankfully I think I make a better engineer!