In conversation with Gold Medallists: inspiring action

Tanya possesses a wealth of structural engineering expertise, accumulated across Europe, the USA, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Her project portfolio encompasses a wide spectrum, ranging from world-class stadia and long span roofs to residential structures. In 2006, Tanya Co-Founded the London office of the US engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti. In 2019 she embarked on a new chapter in New York, spearheading a social impact initiative. This initiative mirrors her conviction in the influential role of engineering in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, centred around people and the planet. In addition to her active involvement with the Institution since 2014, Tanya has played a proactive role in collaborative endeavours across the industry. This includes thought leadership, industry presentations, co-chairing the AIANY Social Science and Architecture Committee, and serving as a founding steering group member of The Equilibrium Network.

Since establishing his own structural engineering practice in 1985, Paul Fast has designed building structures in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. With offices in Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Seattle and Darmstadt/Stuttgart in Germany, his firm has become a leader in the design of hybrid structures, which include the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, winner of the 2016 Supreme Award, the 18 storey TallWood House at the University of British Columbia, the 2010 Richmond Olympic Oval and the rehabilitation of the Mannheim Gridshell. Paul was the recipient of the 2021 Gold Medal, the IStructE’s highest accolade and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois.

Chris is the Senior Director of Expedition Engineering, a Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, Department of Architecture and Research Fellow in Regenerative Design Education at the University of Bath. Chris has a reputation for hands-on creativity and innovative engineering projects, as design lead and alongside some of the world’s leading architects. He co-founded Expedition in 1999 and the Useful Simple Trust in 2008. Prior to this, he worked for Ove Arup and Partners from 1979. Serving in the UK, Australia and USA, he became Arup’s youngest Director in 1992. He has also been a long-time leader in sustainable and regenerative design, and has been involved in many stadia, long-span, cultural and adaptive reuse projects for over 30 years, including as engineering design lead for the London 2012 Velodrome.