8.30 AM Getting the day started

Arup offers flexibility in working from home or the office. I typically split my week 60/40 between home and office. When working from home, I work from 8am to 4pm, which gives me more time in the afternoon to decompress, go to the gym and prepare dinner. Today, I’m going to the office so I’m working from 8:30am to 5pm.

I start my day by reviewing the notes I left for myself the previous day on outstanding work items and queries. I then check any upcoming meetings and plan out my workday. This process doubles as an easy way to track my hours for timesheets, which I complete throughout the week.

9.00 AM Project Design Work

On a typical morning, I usually work on calculations for various aspects of a project’s design. This might include conducting lighting level calculations in the modelling software AGI32, calculating a building’s maximum power demand or modelling the power distribution of a site in PowerCAD. Each of these design tasks requires navigating several requirements, such as the client’s specific design needs, the standards set out in the National Construction Code or the Australian/New Zealand Standards. This process demands taking clear notes and understanding priority – knowing which requirements take precedence over others.

11 AM Catch up with senior support

Often, I will liaise with my immediate superior, a senior engineer, to troubleshoot any queries I have via email, Microsoft Teams or a quick video call. I have been impressed and immensely grateful for the wealth of knowledge my seniors have spent the time to share with me throughout my time at Arup. They are always willing to set aside time to work through foundational ideas with me and suggest actions to work through design problems.

12.00 PM Internal coordination meeting

I often participate in internal meetings at Arup to catch issues of clashing early and avoid abortive work. We also work closely with drafters and modellers who take our engineering designs and model them in 3D. The modelling team are hard-working gems who alert us to spatial issues and coordination clashes, making the process of ensuring a building will work for its intended purpose a truly collaborative one!

12.30 PM Lunch (i.e., hunting for free food)

At the office, I make the most of my full hour lunch break by attending MEL talks, Lunch and Learn sessions, workshops, or catching up with friends. MEL talks are an Arup initiative that invites internal and external speakers to deliver engaging and catered lunchtime presentations. We've had speakers discuss past projects, share leadership journeys, talk about sustainability and represent foundations.

Lunch and Learns are team-specific events where graduates coordinate with local suppliers to bring educational resources to the office. These sessions provide us with valuable insights into industry products and tools. The Arup Eats area is fantastic, offering breakfast, salads, cutlery, plates, microwaves and relaxed seating. I rarely need to pack my own lunch when I go to the office!

1.00 PM Online or in-person external meetings

External meetings often involve a project's client or other members of the project team, such as an architect. My role in these meetings is to support a senior colleague or discuss aspects of electrical design. I appreciate the opportunity to observe and understand the various moving parts and priorities of a project and grasp the nuances of other technical disciplines.

2.00 PM Site visit

Site visits offer me a valuable opportunity to step outside the office and gain a better understanding of my project. Working solely with 2D sketches or even 3D models cannot fully convey the scale and nuances of a real-life building. Being on site allows me to better visualise the use of a space, particularly from an electrical perspective, such as the transition between rooms, changes in light levels and the most user-friendly control methods for lights. It also helps me understand the need for power and outlets in specific rooms. Also, site visits give me insight into the role of staging in the construction process and facilitate direct communication with contractors.

5.00 PM Social fun

Beyond 5pm, Arup provides numerous social opportunities for networking or relaxing with coworkers. On the last Thursday of every month, there are drinks and food starting at 4:30pm. Internal committees frequently organise social events and activities such as darts at a bar, craft workshops, or go-karting which are either free or heavily subsidised. I am immensely grateful for the time and money spent on these occasions, as they have allowed me to get to know my colleagues on a more personal level.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the workplace Arup offers and the flexibility that comes with it. Flexibility was a crucial factor for me, as it ensures I feel in control of my work environment and am in the best position to be as effective as possible.


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