UCL IEDE welcomes Ian Durbin as Visiting Professor of Environmental Design and Engineering

UCL IEDE is delighted to announce that the Provost has conferred a Visiting Professorship to Ian Durbin.

Ian Durbin is an engineer and industry leader with 35 years of experience in consultancy and engineering. He has enjoyed a successful career at Hoare Lea, the UK’s largest MEP engineering design consultancy, where he is a member of the Executive Board and he leads the firm's Product and Innovation strategy.

Ian recognises the importance of building optimisation and ensuring that buildings perform for their users. He was instrumental in the formation of the firm’s specialist Performance group in 2014. During the last three years he has focused on his Product and Innovation role, forming Hoare Lea’s ‘Engineering>Futures’ group to critically examine the firm’s design and production capability, while addressing the challenges of the construction industry’s evolving needs and equipping the firm to respond to change.

Outside of Hoare Lea, Ian has been instrumental in developing the Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (IEDE) collaborative programme that meets the vocational demands of a fast-moving industry – including the recently launched MEng in Engineering and Architectural Design (MEng EAD). He also continues to advise on the programme’s evolution to ensure it continues to meet future needs.

His team has advised us on the development of the building acoustics curriculum throughout this programme, and now collaborate with Jian Kang, our newly appointed Professor of Acoustics. Ian has kindly agreed to serve on the MEng Industry Advisory Board and is enthusiastic about guiding, shaping and giving back. His vision of a future industry, where effective cross-discipline design is enabled by technology and led by wider knowledge, is aligned to the development of the MEng EAD course.

In line with the UK's Industrial Strategy Construction Sector Deal and transformation of the research funding landscape, UCL IEDE aims to strengthen its links with industry and maintain its long track record of translating world-leading research into powerful competitive advantages for partners in industry, government and charity.

Ian’s experience and enthusiasm for our teaching and doctoral programmes make him well placed to support UCL IEDE's strategic objectives (2017-2022):
a.    the development and delivery of the new MEng in Engineering and Architectural Design
b.    support for MSc Environmental Design and Engineering, MSc Light and Lighting, MSc Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings and MSc Smart Buildings and Digital Engineering
c.    the establishment of a strong network of industry partners in support of our doctoral training programme and industry co-funded research activities.

I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to share my knowledge and experience, working with UCL to help shape the next generation of designers and engineers.

 Ian Durbin, Partner, Hoare Lea

I’m very excited that Ian Durbin is joining us at The Bartlett as visiting professor. The Bartlett has had a long association with Hoare Lea and values the engagement with the practice. Ian’s experience will be a tremendous value to both the staff and students at UCL’s Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering.
 

Alan Penn, Dean of The Bartlett