Eva Chau (CivE 1T1 + PEY) is no stranger to success - her performance in the classroom has garnered her numerous awards, as well as a strong reputation as one of our most promising future Civil engineers. Her passion to create a sustainable future through smart engineering has taken her many places outside the lecture halls and labs of the academic world.

This past summer Eva worked as a researcher for the Department of Civil Engineering, travelling to innovative development sites in the Greater Toronto Area to analyze the processes and decisions that impact our ability to produce sustainable built communities.

Eva’s work focused on developing communities like the West Don Lands and the waterfront as well as more policy-based issues such as Toronto’s Green Development Standard. Her work will be used to teach other students about local, sustainable engineering projects and their impacts on our future.

This fall The Civilian staff caught up with Eva as she was hard at work on her latest endeavour during her Professional Experience Year.

Name: Eva Chau

Discipline: Civil Engineering

Employer: Halsall Associates, Toronto

Job Title: Structural Engineering Intern

What is the best part of your PEY experience?

There are many things that are great about this company but I will limit it to a few:

1. I have only recently joined the Halsall team and they have already got me working on and helping out on a residential building in Dubai. I find that although this creates quite a steep learning curve for me, it is great to see that the company is willing to give me this kind of exposure to projects.
   
   
2. I have noticed that working for Halsall is not unlike going to school. Everyday I get to learn something new either through a project or various presentations during lunch. There are many departments within Halsall (restoration, new structural developments, green building, sustainability, drafting, administration) and being part of one doesn't mean you're closed off from the others. I get to attend green building technical sessions where they speak about Jamie different projects worldwide related to their field. Everyone is invited to our structural sessions where we have talked about various building materials and products, and watched videos on how the Bird’s Nest Stadium and the Watercube in Beijing were designed and built. Working at Halsall is an amazing learning experience.

Can you tell us about a typical day on the job?

I’m not sure if I can tell you what I do on a typical day just because it seems to change from day to day depending on what projects I am involved with. The work I do is mostly design work: the design of columns, beams, and lateral systems in a building, as well as reviewing structural drawings. During the time that I am not working on any projects, I am finding something new to learn about. The design work that I have been working on is closely related to the work a Civil student would be doing in steel and timber design or reinforced concrete so I often find myself reviewing class notes to remind myself how to design something. I have always wanted a career that relates to buildings and infrastructure, and with my work experience I can definitely say that I am on the right path.

(home)