Building foundations: Alex Lynes, Associate, on maths, brewing and building with Lego

Features: Templewood

Alex

As we begin preparing for Webb Yates Engineers 5th annual beer festival, we catch up with master brewer and recent Associate, Alex Lynes.

 

Which Webb Yates Engineers project are you most proud of and why?

Probably Templewood? Or The Hoover Building. I've got a lot of projects in the works at the moment I'm really excited to see built.

 

Why did you choose engineering as a career?

It's really just of a combination of things I'm good at and enjoy: maths, physics, physical problem solving and creativity. It's also always different and keeps you on your toes making sure you are always pushing yourself to learn more.

 

What would you be doing if you weren’t an engineer?

Probably be a bum or an academic or both. Or I’d be brewing beer and targeting it to engineering practices - that would be very lucrative.

 

Which product or building has most inspired you and why?

Lego. I built amazing things with the mounds of Lego in my room when I was younger, everything from buildings to boats to engines to weapons. Using the same tools to create anything I wanted was always the best thing about Lego and engineering.

 

What is the most difficult challenge you’ve overcome at Webb Yates Engineers?

So many but generally figuring out how to analyse and design various non-standard structures.

 

What are your ambitions for the future?

More of the same really, pushing the boundaries of what materials we use and how we use them. Designing things that make people stop and look.

 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Find out about and get to know about different engineers and architects and their buildings, there is so much cool stuff out there and every time I find something new that's a great or unusual idea it inspires me to try something new myself.

 

Where is your favourite place to be?

Standing on skis and looking down a steep couloir that I've agreed to do and am both excited and scared about. And then doing it.