Stephen was part of our Engineers Placement Initiative for 2 months while studying Mechanical Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.
What are you currently studying?
I am currently completing my Mechanical Engineering Degree at Trinity College Dublin.
What made you choose EDC?
I was looking for an active company that was working in a range of sectors, but not a big faceless corporation. I was looking for somewhere that would be more hands-on with a personal approach, and I definitely got that with EDC.
What is your day-to-day routine like?
I was allocated a partner for the time I was here and each morning I would meet with them and cover my tasks for the day while reviewing the status of any previous work. I could be doing anything from ventilation sketches to reviewing and providing calculations for the engineering team. I was fortunate enough to work on projects such as the North Main Street Student Accommodation project for BMOR and the Glanmire Nursing Home Development in Cork.
What has been a highlight of your time with EDC?
It is not really a project-based one, but I had the opportunity to join the whole Dublin Office in their first night out as a team since March 2020 when the restrictions lifted. It was great to meet the team on a personal level outside of work.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I would like to spend some time working in Mechanical Engineering in the United States working in construction based engineering. I would also like to look towards upskilling and obtaining experience in aerospace engineering.
"What I really enjoyed was the autonomy that I was given. Having the freedom to make mistakes and learn from doing, knowing that I had someone to review the work, talk me through it and take the time to teach me best practices".
If you could do any project that your heart desired, what would be your ideal project?
I would love to work on the Starship SpaceX project. Their willingness to just try things and if they make mistakes they learn and move forward is something that really resonates with me. They are not afraid to push the boundaries.
What key learnings will you take away from EDC for your future career?
One of the big eye-openers for me was just the effort and amount of time that goes into the design stage of a project. It is not just getting the architects drawings and doing the pipework, there is a huge amount of thought and work into ensuring calculations, sunlight analysis, carbon and many more that are required to be run and QA’d before the physical “pen to paper” design even begins.
Also that you can’t be afraid to push the envelope when it comes to looking for innovative solutions. Especially with the increased focus on energy and carbon, spending a little time “thinking outside the box” can have huge benefits to the overall outcome of a project.
If you were to describe EDC and your time with EDC in 3 words, what would they be?
Welcoming, Challenging, Enlightening.
BMOR North Main Street Student Accommodation Scheme.
Team Night Out
100 Bed Glanmire Nursing Home Scheme.
Stephen completed his 8-week placement with EDC in July 2021 and is continuing his studies in Mechanical Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.