Neesha Gopal joined Foster + Partners as a Façade Specialist for the Technical Design Group in July 2023. She is a chartered Architect, studying at Nottingham, Brighton and Kingston Universities. Following several years as a project and site-based architect, she specialised in Façade Engineering joining Whitbybird in 2003. Her career has included Façade Team Director of Ramboll UK and Regional Director for Meinhardt Façade Technology, UK and Europe. Before joining F+P, Neesha was Head of Façades for Europe at Lendlease. Neesha has also chartered as a Project Manager and has an MSc in Façade Engineering with distinction from Bath University.
Neesha is active within the industry, as a member of the Technical Committee for CWCT and committee member for the Society of Façade Engineering. As an advocate for Women in Construction, she is active in judging several awards for different facets of the Built Environment.
Q1 – Given your diverse background and varied career path, could you tell us how your interest in Façade Engineering began and evolved throughout the years?
I had been a Project Architect for several years in the late 1990’s, however I chose to diversify my career following a severe episode of RSI (repetitive strain injury) which affected my hands and arms. In 2003 I had the opportunity for an interview to join a façade engineering team and was really pleased to be offered a position at Whitbybird facades. I have subsequently been able to develop a vocation in engineering that has allowed me to pursue career opportunities without giving up my love of Architecture.
Q2 – Having held leadership positions for more than 10 years, what, in your view, makes a great team and what strategies have you found most successful in building and leading high-performing teams?
A great team is made up of people with passion for their work. Building a team is a really exciting part of the role. It is like building a jigsaw puzzle – finding the pieces and seeing how they fit together! It is so important to keep the team inspired and engaged, but without it becoming a task of herding cats!
Q3 – You have quoted “Every day is a school day. That’s my mantra”. What are the lessons learned from investing in your self-development and education in relation to your career advancement and personal life?
Someone once said to me that if you can learn something new every day, then you have a great job. It may have been 5 new things, I think. We are fortunate to work in an industry where innovation and technology give us the opportunity to learn every day. My other mantra is – ‘if you don’t know something – do not be afraid to ask.’
Q4 – Given your active involvement in volunteering with SFE, CWCT, and as a judge for various engineering awards, what challenges, if any, have you encountered in these roles, and what positive influence have they had on your life?
The challenge is finding the time – I do not like to say no! Then I am squeezing these extra activities around my work and home life – but it is great to be involved. One of the most rewarding aspects has been the number of amazing characters I have met in the industry through my participation.
Q5 – Considering your expertise on glazed façades, what emerging trends or innovations in the glass industry do you find most promising or impactful within the context of façade engineering?
The desire to optimise visual quality in our glazed façades is a topic that fascinates me – hence the dissertation for my MSc. Now the challenge is how to optimise a clear glazed façade and meet the thermal and solar performances requirements for all the different regions in the world in a sustainable way.
Q6 – What is this one project that was milestone in your career, or you are most proud of, and what key lessons did you learn from that experience?
The project I learned so much from as a fledgling façade consultant was the BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, MJP Architects and Sheppard Robson Architects. It was a really complex project with many different façade specialist contractors involved in delivering the numerous façade types. Every time I see the news and an image of the building, it makes me smile. There are so many other amazing projects that have taught me a lot, including The Hepworth Gallery, David Chipperfield Architects – the challenge of writing my first precast specification; Ferrari World, Benoy – designing a mega building in extreme climate conditions with project programme as fast as a Ferrari and National Holdings Headquarters, Zaha Hadid Architects – a complex curved glass project which inspired my MSc dissertation.
Q7 – You have been supporting initiatives that expand diversity in construction including your presentation at a recent SFE event launching the “Women in Façades Network”. What is the one piece of advice you would give to aspiring young female engineers that want to pursue a career in the engineering and construction industry?
Do not hold yourself back by thinking of limitations. Strive for your aspirations – if you don’t have something to aim for you will not even get near your goals. I would also say that as women, we often do not take credit when it is due. Pat yourself on the back when you have achieved something you are proud of, but also do not forget your humility.