Structures Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment at BuroHappold. I worked on a range of exciting projects which are local to Manchester so I was able to contribute to the built environment around me. This also meant that I could readily go on site visits. The atmosphere in the Manchester office is very friendly and makes an ideal working environment.

Everybody was happy to give you work to do and would sit down with you to answer any questions you have in detail. I was always included in social events and activities and was invited to events that happened after my internship ended. At the end of my internship the structures team presented me with a personalised card and a present.

I had excellent support throughout my placement as everyone in the structures team is willing to help out and give very clear explanations to your questions. The office is an open layout which makes everybody very accessible and approachable. I had regular meetings with my line manager to check on my progress and see if there was anything that could further enhance my internship.

During my internship, I had a continuous supply of work to do from multiple engineers in the office. They often got me to do hand calculations for my own benefit of developing my knowledge of Structural Engineering and then I would check the calculations using various software packages. I also spent a significant amount of time learning industry software such as Robot, Tedds and TSD. The engineers had excellent judgement for how long work would take so I never got stressed out by my workload or deadlines.

As a structures intern, the internship predominantly helped me with my structures modules as it solidified my current education and I have learned concepts that the rest of my year are currently being introduced to for the first time at Uni, giving me a significant advantage and reduces my workload. The internship also allowed me to see practical applications of what I am being taught at university which makes studying more interesting. Being exposed to new concepts such as computational design has sparked new interests and gave me inspiration on what I wanted to pursue in my dissertation.

Very friendly. I would eat lunch around a large table with colleagues from multiple disciplines around the office and have amusing conversations. Everyone in the office got on well with each other and there was plenty of banter. BuroHappold have plenty of social activities so you got to know people in the office really well.

BuroHappold gave me plenty of time to learn the new analysis, design and modelling software and would get me to do hand calculations so that I understood what goes into a design of a structural element which greatly benefitted my development. Colleagues gave me a good insight into how to become chartered and what I can do to prepare.

Highly appealing because at BuroHappold you can work on amazing, one of a kind structures with a group of very talented engineers and is an excellent place to start your career. There is a clear path of progression throughout your career and you have the ability to work in different office locations around the world. I have been in discussion to do further internships in my time off from Uni.

There was an excellent social scene at BuroHappold. They put on lots of events throughout the year such as a walking tour of Manchester where we learned about the history of the city and visited projects that BuroHoppold have worked on in the area. Most Fridays a group of colleagues go to the pub after work to socialise and the working day of the last Friday of the month ends at 3pm and there is usually social activities afterwards.

BuroHappold have a young engineers forum (YEF) which put on regular events such as walking in the peak district and they cover most expenses. The young engineer's forum sometimes collaborates with other Burohappold offices around in the country so you get to network with a wide range of like-minded people.