Neil Dennis is based in Melbourne, Australia and has over 40 years of experience in project management, design and commissioning on a wide range of industrial projects spanning the petroleum, gas, mining, defense, water and wastewater, and food industries. He has undertaken lead roles in plant safety analysis, audits, and investigations, as well as the development of safe work standards and regulations.

Neil is passionate about improving industry safety standards. He has held the prestigious position of Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Standards committee for explosive atmosphere standards. He is also now the Chair of the International Electrotechnical Commission sub-committee. He applies his extensive knowledge of explosive protection to ensure safer workplaces for employees and communities globally.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

My parents operated a family industrial electrical services business and from a young age, I was involved in electrical engineering. By the time I graduated from university, the family business had wrapped up, so I struck out on my own and stumbled into petroleum refining with Shell in Geelong, Australia. From there, I started with a small consulting firm working with other petroleum industry sites in Melbourne.

Working in the petroleum industry kicked off my technical passion, and I began noticing problems with how Australian standards for explosion protection were written. I started conversing with the standards writing bodies to identify issues and propose solutions, which were often accepted. One thing led to another, one contact led to another, and one problem solved led to another to be solved. My inspiration has been to improve industry safety standards and understanding.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

I have worked on many projects with so many highlights that it’s difficult to pick a favorite. The great thing about my specialty is I’m involved in a vast range of projects, from aviation fuel to zinc production.

One of the most technically satisfying but environmentally demanding projects involved a Victorian paper mill. The paper production process usually results in toxic and flammable gases that are unique to their industry. The local safety regulators issued a notice to the paper mill to properly address the explosion safety issues, or face shutdown. There was a lack of proper guidance and recommendations for the facility. Following careful analysis, I resolved the safety issues, and the regulatory notice was withdrawn before the final report was completed. The paper mill continued to operate, and the results ensured a safer working environment for the staff.

The project also required a thorough investigation of the papermaking processes and the gases’ properties. The paper mill posed complex challenges but the satisfaction of delivering such positive safety outcomes made the project a highlight of my career.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

Safety is a focus of my work, and my involvement in the Australian and international standard committees positively impacts the well-being of individuals and the wider community.

Many people associate safety issues with petroleum fuels and gases like liquified petroleum gas or hydrogen. However, the more significant safety risks often come from common materials such as sugar and flour which can create large explosions when mishandled in manufacturing plants.

For example, I was engaged to undertake a hazardous area audit for a printing company in Melbourne where the levels of flammable vapor were so high that they presented a significant toxicity risk to the workers as well as an explosion risk. We used advanced computational fluid dynamics modeling to identify the cause of the problem and refine the solution. The result was a far safer work environment for many employees, one that promptly reduced headaches amongst staff members and should improve long-term health outcomes.

Share a piece of career advice. 

Never let a chance go by. I didn’t set out to end up where I am the pathway here was never mapped in any career advice forum and there was no training in my field of expertise when I started. Events happened, and I took each opportunity not knowing what would be next but making sure that what was done, was done well.

The other piece of advice: no one is an expert on their own. You need other experts who think like you, and understand and believe in you, and a good team to help you learn. Sometimes this means educating a competitor, but the market is big enough for both of you to survive, and you will be known as a leader, not a follower.

Opal Paper Mill – Victoria

Adelaide airport jet fuel storage

Mondelez Scoresby confectionary manufacture

No. 1 Maribyrnong Berth – Melbourne

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Sian Willmott is an associate director – Sustainability, based in Melbourne, Australia. Over the last 11 years, Sian has worked on many major buildings, precincts and portfolios as a sustainable design consultant, challenging the status quo for initiatives that reduce environmental impact and improve occupant amenity. Sian works closely with ArchTam’s key clients to develop integrated solutions to complex project challenges and contributes to broader industry change through the Property Council of Australia’s Sustainable Development Committee. She is currently working across various technical disciplines to integrate ArchTam’s global Sustainable Legacies strategy, across the Buildings and Places business in Australia and New Zealand.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry

I’ve always been interested in architecture, and I recall sketching buildings from as young as eight years old. When I applied to study architectural engineering at university, I didn’t really understand the balance between the two disciplines in the course. The degree turned out to be heavily engineering-focused, with an appreciation of architecture. It was the sustainability subjects that really captured my interest due to their diverse application across multiple disciplines, and innate ability to influence architectural design.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

There are many projects which I’ve worked on that I’ve enjoyed for different reasons. In the last couple of years, a couple come to mind as career highlights:

Botanic High School – The education sector has always been attractive from a sustainability perspective because of the influence you can have on reducing environmental impact for owner-occupiers, but also the inspiration you can provide to students. Botanic High School, commissioned by the South Australia Department for Education, was designed to comfortably accommodate 1,250 students over two buildings, linked seamlessly via a central light-filled atrium. Working with Cox Architects, we delivered Environmentally Sustainable Design services alongside other building services disciplines. Inherently sustainable, the first building is an adaptive reuse of the existing old Royal Adelaide Hospital, Reid building. Whilst its main structure was retained, it was uplifted to match the modern exterior of the new building. Key design features included a high-performance facade, mixed-mode ventilation to teaching areas and a large central atrium (not actively conditioned) which is provided with a light-weight, variable shading ETFE ‘cushion’ roof, which constantly adjusts to optimise the balance of heat-gains and daylight to the space, depending on environmental conditions. The school achieved a 5 Star Green Star rating.

Whole of House – The objective of this project was to assist the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Council officials to gather evidence and undertake analysis to progress Measure 31.2 of the National Energy Productivity Plan (NEPP). This project looked at the ease of achieving a net zero (energy or carbon) residential dwelling, considering both its thermal performance and appliances across differing climate zones and jurisdictions. Whilst the priority of this project was the modelling of different dwellings and communication of results, these had to be communicated and rationalised with over 180 stakeholders across the country. The work fed into the trajectory for low energy buildings, a national plan that sets a trajectory towards zero energy (and carbon) ready buildings for Australia. The plan was agreed upon in 2019 by Energy Ministers and identifies opportunities for the building sector in the context of a broader trajectory for the sector.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

We’ve been fortunate as a team to work on a variety of projects that impact the community from both an environmental and social perspective. I personally enjoy working on projects where I can influence the quality of the indoor environment to positively impact either the learning environment for students or the recovery of patients in the education and healthcare settings respectively.

The sustainability industry is quite collaborative given we all have a common goal and the Property Council of Australia’s Victorian Sustainable Development Committee has given me a voice on broader policies and precincts to advocate for holistic sustainable design.

My third career choice after engineering and architecture was teaching so, I get a lot of joy from engaging with others and helping them understand sustainable buildings and how they are designed. Through working at ArchTam, I have been fortunate enough to create connections with universities that have allowed me to tutor, provide career advice and mentor students across multiple disciplines.

For several years, I also sat on the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) committee, helping to engage with like-minded professionals on current industry issues and broaden the technical understanding of younger engineers.

Share a piece of career advice

David Peoples is ArchTam’s practice leader for Consulting & Technology and has been my manager for several years. David has always emphasised that “you are only as good as the team around you.” Since then, it’s been my mission to ensure that I’m helping support those in my team to pinpoint where and how they want to succeed and to help them develop their careers with values that align with what they want to achieve. There is no point in driving your own agenda in this industry. You really need driven people on board to support you, challenge you and help deliver outcomes to succeed.

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Rebecca is passionate about all aspects of healthcare — the planning and design of new facilities to meet increasing healthcare demand, the repurposing of existing facilities to meet changing needs, and assisting healthcare clients in understanding and managing their assets. With 22 years of experience in project delivery, including over 18 years dedicated to health-related projects, Rebecca has been involved in some of the most significant and complex healthcare projects delivered in Victoria. Her experience has included leading large, multidisciplinary teams delivering building engineering solutions for hospital, research and education facilities.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry

Growing up, I enjoyed most subjects at school. I recall a government campaign in high school called ‘maths multiplies your choices’, encouraging girls to explore maths at high school level. While I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to study at university, I did decide to keep my studies broad, and included maths and physics. I really enjoyed these subjects and began exploring opportunities for a career founded on these subjects, ultimately enrolling in a mechanical engineering degree. My studies in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and heat and mass transfer led to an interest in building design, and following discussions at a university career fair, I discovered the world of building services! I joined ArchTam as a graduate engineer in 1999 and have continued to work in the industry ever since.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

I have had the privilege of being involved in a range of significant health projects in Victoria, including the Thomas Embling Hospital expansion, leading the PPP bid phase for the Frankston Hospital Redevelopment, and several strategic masterplan and feasibility study projects.

ArchTam’s has a strong track record in the health sector and is committed to providing critical social infrastructure to improve community wellbeing. I experienced this during my early ArchTam career with projects including the Austin and Mercy Hospital redevelopment and the Royal Women’s Hospital redevelopment, where I had the opportunity to work closely with one of my mentors John Colquhoun.

I particularly enjoy working on multidisciplinary projects — we have a strong culture of collegiality and collaboration across all disciplines and markets.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

I am fortunate enough to have been involved in the design of several significant hospital projects, which has always given me a sense of making a positive contribution to the local community.

In 2015, I was seconded to the Department of Health and Human Services as a technical and engineering services manager for the Monash Children’s Hospital. The feeling of contribution and understanding of the positive benefits to the local community was even more meaningful. As a mother of a child who has attended the existing hospital as an inpatient, I could see how the new hospital — including its large patient rooms, increased access to natural light and views, kid-friendly interior design and positive distractions — would lead to improved outcomes for patients, families and staff.

One memorable feature of the design is the diagnostic imaging department. It has several design features that make it more appealing and less threatening to children. Features include, the diagnostic ambient experience, including specialist lighting and themed images and sounds, which provides patients with positive distractions and a calming environment as they undergo imaging procedures; the toy MRI which helps young children become familiar with what is involved in the procedure; and the mock MRI which allows children to practice keeping still for the procedure. These tools have been found to significantly reduce the need for children to be anaesthetised for the imaging.

Share a piece of career advice

One of the biggest challenges of my early career was not understanding my purpose. I was exposed to many different experiences in the early years, but I questioned my suitability as an engineer. I found my passion and purpose when I had the opportunity to be involved in a hospital redevelopment project — and the rest is history. I’ve since had the privilege of being involved in several exciting and significant healthcare projects. Most importantly, I’ve learnt that my career is a marathon and not a sprint. My advice to others would be to take the time to explore different avenues, make the most of new opportunities, and eventually, your passion will become clear.

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