Managing existing structures: structural appraisal and life cycle management

Anna Antonini is a Chartered Structural Engineer working in BG&E, with expertise in adaptive reuse, seismic retrofit, and complex refurbishments. With international experience spanning heritage landmarks and major buildings interventions, she delivers innovative structural solutions that extend the life of buildings while meeting modern demands. Driven by a multidisciplinary approach and technical curiosity, Anna is always looking for context-sensitive and sustainable engineering solutions for adaptive design. 

Margaret is a Conservation Accredited Engineer and a founding Director of Integral Engineering Design. Since its inception over 25 years ago the practice has specialised in low carbon design, whether through building re-use or through using low carbon materials and integrated design to produce the lowest carbon footprint for the lifetime of a building.

Margaret is an acknowledged leader in conservation and re-use of buildings and was the 2021 winner of the IABSE Milne Medal, awarded to an individual engineer for excellence in structural design. She says “As engineers we should be trying to make ourselves redundant! The best thing we can do for the planet is to give existing buildings new life with as little intervention as possible.”  Achieving this requires strong skills in listening to clients and fully understanding their aims, challenging assumptions and creating strong working relationships with fellow designers.

Jessica is a conservation accredited engineer (CARE) with over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry. Working for BDP she specialises in developing bespoke yet pragmatic solutions for the unique situations encountered in existing buildings, with particular concern for preservation of historic fabric. She is an expert in condition assessments of existing structures as well as surveying strategy and techniques. Her recent experience includes leading the structural design and surveying programme for the Restoration and Renewal of the Grade I listed Palace of Westminster, which seeks to protect and preserve the heritage of the building and ensure it can continue to serve as home to the UK Parliament in the 21st century. She is on the Southwark Diocesan Advisory Committee and has also completed a Professional Development Diploma in Historic Building Conservation and Repair.

Jean-Pierre Kim has 25 years of experience in the design and delivery of complex building projects. His expertise covers the sensitive refurbishment and adaptation of listed and heritage structures, as well as the redevelopment of large-scale commercial and institutional buildings. Jean-Pierre has led projects with demanding site constraints, including difficult ground conditions, proximity to critical infrastructure, and with limited knowledge of existing structures. 

He is recognised for delivering cost-effective and innovative design solutions. His portfolio includes landmark projects such as the refurbishment of Daniel House on Fleet Street, the Leighton House Museum and 64 Victoria Street. His work consistently balances heritage preservation with modern performance requirements, ensuring projects are completed to budget, programme, and to the highest technical quality. 

Alan is an Associate Structural Engineer at Mott MacDonald, with a keen interest in sustainability. He specialises in the inspection, appraisal, and refurbishment of existing buildings. With over 16 years of experience across buildings and infrastructure, Alan is dedicated to helping clients understand and manage the risks associated with ageing structures, considering structural safety, sustainability, and reliability.
His expertise covers modern building materials as well as legacy construction methods, enabling him to identify structural vulnerabilities which could limit the future potential of buildings.

Alan has recently co-authored publications for the Institution of Structural Engineers, focusing on the inspection and verification of existing buildings. Alan has also lectured at Liverpool John Moores University on the Re-use of Existing Buildings, helping inspire the next generation of engineers.

Since graduating from the University of Southampton with a degree in Civil Engineering, Alice has gained a wide breadth of experience, both in the UK and in the Middle East. Based in the design office she has made key contributions to large scale multi-disciplinary projects such as the Olympic Stadium Transformation, Battersea Power Station Phase 3 and the Coop Live Arena. She also has construction experience, acting as the resident engineer on the Southend-on-Sea Cliff Remediation Works and during foundation works for Msheireb Downtown, Doha. She has led the delivery of the geotechnical design of large scale basements requiring a variety of retaining solutions, slope stability solutions and both piled and shallow foundations.

Her specific areas of interest and expertise are foundation reuse and repurposing and instrumentation and monitoring to facilitate efficient design. She is Vice Chair for the Register of Ground Engineering Professionals (RoGEP) and a committee member of the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) Working Group on Instrumentation and Monitoring.