Scott Ritchie - Project Engineer

Describe what you do.

At this early stage of my career I am responsible for producing structural design calculations and construction drawings on AutoCAD for a wide range of different projects including housing developments, food processing factories, hotels and pubs.

I am also responsible for submitting Planning and Building Warrant packages to local authorities and occasionally visit construction sites to carry out dimensional and linear surveys.    

What are you currently working on?

At the moment I am the project engineer for a £2m extension to a salmon processing factory in Dingwall up in the Highlands. It is my responsibility to produce drawings and calculations for planning, building warrant and tender purposes.

What or who inspired you to become an engineer?

To be honest I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do when I left school at the age of 17. Luckily my local career office put me forward for an interview at my current employers nine years ago. Since then I have obtained my HNC and BSc (Hons) at college and university through my work and have enjoyed every minute of it.

What excites you about Scottish engineering?

I think it has to be the broad spectrum of projects you can be involved in, from designing new developments from scratch using the latest construction materials and methods, to refurbishing listed buildings. The latter is extremely interesting as you never quite know what you are going to find once the building is stripped back to its shell. Being based in Edinburgh means I come across old interesting building on a weekly basis.

Where do you see developments in your field in the future?

I think the continuation of sustainable construction will feature heavily in future of civil and structural engineering projects. As time goes on, construction materials and methods will improve resulting in a more sustainable industry.