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International Women in Engineering Day 2026

Last week, Regional Director, Lindsay Wood, was invited to support an event for International Women in Engineering Day. She went along to Turnbull High School to provide the students with valuable insight into the sector and discuss the pathway into its many different fields.

By Lindsay Wood

I was pleased to be invited to attend the 7th annual International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) event at Turnbull High School. The primary purpose of this event is to encourage girls to consider engineering as a career path through discussion and practical engagement in core engineering principles.

It was encouraging to see that around 70 female pupils from second year, from schools across East Dunbartonshire, attended the day-long event to meet women in the engineering field and find out more about the jobs they do.
Including myself, female engineers from 8 different organisations attended the event. It featured an icebreaker, practical group activities, and a Q&A session for pupils to be able to ask all the engineers about our routes into engineering, our career pathways, and more about our specific jobs.

The girls worked in smaller groups, rotating around various practical activities that the engineers had prepared related to our specific fields of engineering. We created a wide range of activities to spark their imaginations and show how different engineering roles can have significant positive impacts on society. These activities ranged from building structures from paper straws and paper that had to withstand the wind loading of a hairdryer, bridges between tables made from Knex, to building a railway & working out the signalling controls, to improving the internal environment of a space using building services.

In DSSR’s activity, the girls were invited to consider how they could improve their classroom environment using a variety of measures, but working within a cost budget, with improvement targets for carbon, air quality & comfort. I was proud to see the girls discuss the merits of the various measures and the competing requirements that some of the targets posed. They quickly learned (as will be familiar to my colleagues in the engineering field) that in order to achieve their budget, compromise was needed!

It may have been the result of a throwaway remark to my daughter’s maths teacher, but I am very happy to have been invited to support the International Women in Engineering Day and help the next generation of women get a better understanding of the opportunities in the sector and, more broadly, how engineering influences their environment.

DSSR attend the All-Energy Conference at SEC

The DSSR Sustainability team was represented at the All-Energy Conference at the SEC Event Campus by Sustainability Specialist, Atheya Rajeev. Here is her account of the event:

By Atheya Rajeev

As part of the sustainability team, I attended the All-Energy Conference at SEC Event Campus. I engaged with a wide range of important topics, covering grid & networks, local & community energy, heat decarbonisation, and retrofitting in the built environment. It was particularly encouraging to see a strong alignment across sectors towards achieving net zero, alongside a clear emphasis on empowering the next generation to lead and shape the future energy workforce.

My highlights included sessions on the following topics:

• Clean Power 20230: Are we still on Track?
• Alleviating Fuel Poverty Through Community Ownership
• Heat Network Scotland – A Home and a Voice for the Heat Network Sector in Scotland
• Retrofit Realities: Delivering Warmer and Healthier Homes on the Road to Net Zero

The sessions attended provided a strong cross-sector perspective on the challenges and opportunities shaping the UK’s transition to a net zero energy system, many of which directly reflect the work we are delivering at DSSR.

Much of the discussion explored whether current policy, infrastructure investment and delivery capacity are sufficient to meet national targets, highlighting the critical role of grid resilience, coordinated planning and demand reduction. These are areas where DSSR actively contributes through intelligent building services design, reducing operational energy demand at source while supporting wider system decarbonisation.

A recurring theme across the shorter sessions was the importance of people-centred and place-based solutions. The session on alleviating fuel poverty through community ownership demonstrated how local energy models can deliver both social value and long-term resilience, aligning closely with DSSR’s ethos of creating efficient, cost-effective buildings that deliver tangible benefits for end users.

Discussions around Heat Network Scotland reinforced the growing importance of low-carbon heat infrastructure, an area where our in-house expertise—including CIBSE Heat Network consultancy and low-carbon energy assessment—allows us to support clients in navigating emerging policy and technical requirements.

The “Retrofit Realities” session was particularly relevant to the built environment, focusing on the practical challenges of upgrading existing buildings to meet net zero targets while improving occupant health and comfort. This mirrors a significant proportion of DSSR’s current project work, where our sustainability specialists apply advanced modelling, BREEAM methodologies and performance-led design to balance fabric improvements, services upgrades and whole-life carbon considerations.

As I noted earlier, I was particularly encouraged to see such a focus on the diverse ways we can achieve net zero, and what I believe is a vital emphasis on empowering the next generation of the future energy workforce. It is essential to have a meaningful commitment to delivering low-carbon, high-performance buildings through multidisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based design and a proactive approach to sustainability.

£32m Elective Care Hub for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

DSSR is proud to have delivered the mechanical & electrical design for the new £32m Elective Care Hub at Chapel Allerton Hospital, developed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The purpose-built extension will include a 23-bed ward,  two operating theatres and a new admissions area.

The hub will increase elective capacity by over 1,600 cases per year, creating protected space for planned spinal and orthopaedic procedures away from busier sites such as Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital.

Craige Richardson, Director of Estates and Facilities

“This is fantastic news for patients in Leeds and from across the region as well as our colleagues working at the hospital. The purpose-built elective care hub increases protected space and theatres to see planned inpatients, enhancing their experience and meaning we can see more people more quickly.

“Thank you to the teams who have worked hard to get us to this point. This project exemplifies our commitment to modernising our healthcare infrastructure to meet future demands, bringing clear benefits for the people we provide care for.”

Construction is set to begin in early 2026, with completion planned for November 2027, alongside the creation of 142 new roles.

We’re pleased to have supported this project for the NHS and the patients it will serve across the region.

Health Minister, Karin Smyth

“This £32 million investment will help thousands more people get the treatment they need sooner.

“Dedicated elective hubs like this are crucial to cutting waiting times, by allowing surgery to go ahead all year round without disruption from emergency pressures.

“This project is a clear example of how we are modernising the NHS, investing in the frontline and backing local systems to deliver real improvements for patients.”

Supporting ‘Routes to Work’ Employment Support to Local Jobseekers

A huge thanks to DSSR Associate Daniel Scott for attending a recent Careers Insight Event held by ‘Routes to Work’, a Scottish charity organisation which aims to give employment support to young people in North Lanarkshire.

It was a fantastic event designed to connect young people with top local employers. We were incredibly proud to represent the construction sector and help the next generation explore the exciting opportunities available to them.

It was great meeting everyone who stopped by to chat with Daniel. Well done to the organisers for putting together such a valuable initiative for our young people

Celebrating the Promotions of Ryan, Craig, and Jamie

We’re thrilled to announce the well-deserved promotions of Ryan Caffrey, Craig McFadzean, and Jamie Murray to the position of Senior Engineer. These promotions come as a testament to the immense value, talent, and commitment they have each brought to DSSR over many years.

It’s fantastic to see their hard work and dedication recognised as they take this important next step in their careers. We look forward to their continued success and contributions in their new roles.

Congratulations to Craig, Ryan, and Jamie on your well-deserved promotions to Senior Engineer. This milestone is a true reflection of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to delivering excellence. I’m proud to see them take this next step and excited for what’s ahead!

Regional Director, Fiona Williamson

I would like to offer my congratulations to Craig, Jamie and Ryan on your recent promotions. This is a great achievement and a reflection of all your hard work, enthusiasm and dedication you have all shown over the recent years. I’m excited to see how your careers continue to progress within DSSR in your new roles, keep up the hard work.

Neil Gray, Associate

Cheque Presentation to Overgate Hospice

We are very pleased to share that our recent Bikeathon raised an incredible £1,280 for the Overgate Hospice!

Our efforts were in support of Overgate’s ‘Big Build Appeal’, which will help to fund a much-needed new in-patient unit, ensuring patients and families receive the dignity, comfort, and care they deserve.

We’re delighted to be delivering the MEP detailed design for this inspiring project — and grateful for the chance to support it beyond the drawing board.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, donated, and cheered us on — your support made this achievement possible. Overgate Hospice does vital work and we’re proud to support them, both through our design work and our fundraising efforts.

DSSR Project Shortlisted at the British Parking Awards 2025

We are really proud that the PepsiCo Beaumont Park Car Park project has been shortlisted for Best New Car Park at the British Parking Awards 2025. It’s a huge honour to see our work recognised alongside such high-quality projects.

Designing the MEP systems for a multi-story car park like this is always a challenge. It’s a complex puzzle of balancing various systems such as ventilation requirements, fire safety, and efficient lighting, all while keeping the user experience and sustainability at the forefront.

We’re incredibly grateful to our client, Huber Parking, and to everyone on the project team for their hard work and collaboration. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for tonight’s ceremony at the Royal Lancaster in London.

DSSR Project Engineer, Ciro Businaro:

“Absolutely brilliant news from our client, Huber Parking UK! I’m thrilled to see the PepsiCo Beaumont Park Car Park project in Leicester shortlisted for ‘Best New Car Park’ at the British Parking Awards 2025.

As the Electrical Design Engineer from DSSR on this outstanding project, I’m incredibly proud of the collaborative effort that went into making this scheme a success.

It’s truly rewarding to have our collective hard work recognised by the UK parking industry. Congratulations to Huber, PepsiCo, and every single person involved! Looking forward to the awards ceremony.”