The core team at Civic Engineers – which has a Scottish base in Glasgow and is headquartered in Manchester with a UK-wide reach including offices in London and Leeds – has risen to more than 100 employees, including six new graduates recently appointed to work for the practice.     

Julian Broster, founding director of Civic Engineers, said: “We’re feeling very fortunate that we’ve been able to continue growing the business over these difficult times and while our outlook is cautiously optimistic, we remain committed to creating new opportunities and especially to investing in young people who have been hit hard by the current healthcare and economic crisis.

“A key factor contributing to our steady growth is the renewed focus on climate sensitive and low carbon design across our industry; something we have been committed to since the birth of Civic Engineers and which has really come to the fore as a result of recent global events. While the challenges of coronavirus mustn’t be understated for our sector, it is encouraging to see that like us, many businesses have taken the cue to ramp up their response to climate change; a pivot that is entirely necessary to face a longer-term global challenge that will have major consequences if we don’t act now.”  

Those appointed to lead Civic Engineers through its next phase of development and growth include a new non-executive finance director, Nik Hynes, and a new head of finance, Anh Ho. Together they are tasked with forecasting and shaping the company’s business development plan for the next five years.   

Civic Engineers’ placemaking efforts and founding principles are based on an emotionally intelligent approach to climate sensitivity, enhancing the urban and natural environment. Earlier this year the practice re-stated its environmentally responsible position with the publication and adoption of its Climate Charter focused on five principles that emphasise the importance and commercial value of delivering a sustainable design agenda.      

As part of its commitment to sustainable public realm, Civic Engineers’ founding director Stephen O’Malley has recently been appointed to join the NLA’s (New London Architecture) Expert Panel on Wellbeing, and by the High Street Task Force to help communities and local government transform their high streets.      

Major projects for Civic Engineers that are currently underway include the Leeds Climate Innovation District, Glasgow Avenues, three commissions across Manchester’s Northern Gateway  (including Collyhurst, Victoria Riverside and New Cross Central), Mayfield Phase 1 (Manchester), Gascoigne Estate Phase 2 (Barking), Queensway Estate (Southend-on-Sea), and the zero carbon York Housing delivery programme.