Sophie Chumas
Graduate Structural Engineer
Sophie Chumas is a maturing structural fledgling who was raised on Grand Designs and the dulcet tones of Kevin McCloud, and has since been fostered by Centrespace Design. She has been with the company nearly 2 years and has enjoyed being skyrocketed into the world of all things structural engineering, always keen to ask any question no matter how relevant along the way. She also dabbles in a bit of rowing on the side and spends her lunch breaks down on the river with the Leander Club…
Who I am and what makes me tick…
What prompted you to start a career in Structural Engineering
The aforementioned Grand Designs childhood diet (alongside other TV shows like ‘How DO they do it’) whilst riding on the coattails of her parents hard work as they took her to numerous amazing and wonderful places around the world.
How has your previous experience helped you at Centrespace Design?
Working in multiple different industries for summer jobs helped me develop my chameleon skin – dealing with children and horses on summer camps to commuters in dire need of their caffeine hit to being in a rowing boat juggling all sorts of characters and egos whilst performing at a high level. Lots of adapting and situation reading, which haven’t always gone the right way but have provided lots of lessons and skill honing.
Which part of your work gives you the greatest sense of achievement?
Getting a project from conception to seeing it going in onsite. Also responding to emails and actually knowing what I’m talking about (versus this time last year) - still having my growth spurt...
How would people describe you?
Talkative…contributes to rising global levels of CO2 by gas bagging, energetic, enthusiastic
What motivates you to do what you do?
Getting to meet all kinds of Clients and problem solving. There’s always a solution and we have great wizards in the office who are able to nudge (…force) me in the right direction…
What can you be found doing when you’re not at work?
Probably rowing…….or washing my kit…or eating…or walking someone’s dog?