Paul Wood and I co-created Elliott Wood on Valentine’s Day 1994 with a strong belief that we could do better things.⠀
It was a different age. No mobiles, no internet, no BIM, and only very basic computing power.⠀⠀
John Major was Prime Minister, and the UNFCCC launched the same year in Rio de Janeiro. Cool Britannia was a thing, and the UK was changing with increased pride in the country's culture.⠀⠀
I was proud to be an engineer. I loved the work, the people, getting my hands dirty. We worked hard — very hard to develop a position in the marketplace as engineers. ⠀⠀
From the start, we were ambitious to be at the forefront of the market to do things better.⠀We were one of the first to digitise our design work, one of the very first BIM and Revit adopters and one of the first to recognise the negative impact the construction industry has on nature.⠀We have constantly had to adapt and change the way we work, and that’s why 30 years ago, we started what now has evolved into our mission of engineering a better society. ⠀⠀
Simple words on paper but very hard to achieve. I’m still proud to be an engineer and I’m still proud of the work we do. I’m incredibly grateful to our colleagues, collaborators and clients, past and present, who have supported us through the years. Thank you! ⠀⠀
But there’s something from 1994 that’s still relevant today in 2024. The challenges we face are too big to stay still. We have to work together. We have to question; to care; to dare. ⠀⠀
When I look around me in the office and see our engineers, the innovation, the energy, it’s clear to me, just like that Valentine’s Day 30 years ago. This is just the beginning. We have so much more to do.
The challenges we face are too big to stay still.
We have to work together.
We have to question; to care; to dare.
