Two wins at Women in Construction and Engineering awards

We have had a double win at the Women in Construction and Engineering (WICE) awards which celebrate the work of women in the construction and engineering industries.

Sustainability consultant Lucy Townsend won the award for best woman in environment and sustainability and Michelle McDowell took home the lifetime achievement in engineering prize.

The awards are designed to find the most exemplary women within construction and engineering across Europe and to recognise the support and contribution women make to the construction and engineering industries.

Lucy has been instrumental in the development of our specialist sustainability group across a five year period. She demonstrates great leadership, and was appointed an associate in 2019.

She is currently the lead sustainability consultant for a low carbon retrofit project which will become the headquarters for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and her role sees her working closely with the design team to drive innovation and share lessons learnt to promote and encourage sustainable retrofits. She is also leading the sustainability strategy for Parliament’s Northern Estate Programme where her proposals are driving improvements in the environmental performance of a number of refurbished and redeveloped historic buildings.

During the online event, Michelle McDowell was recognised with the lifetime achievement award for engineering – reflecting her many achievements and successes with BDP and her inspirational leadership. In a stellar career she has delivered many landmark projects, including the Royal Albert Hall redevelopment and the No 1 Court at Wimbledon.

Michelle is a principal and leads the interdisciplinary design team on the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.

Her passion is for interdisciplinary design - engineers and architects working together from the start of a project to bring fresh conceptual thinking and challenge each other to deliver collaborative design excellence. Her leadership leads to award-winning quality, motivated teams, delighted clients and inspiring buildings. 

Chris Harding, chair, said: “Both Lucy and Michelle deserve these wonderful accolades in their own right. Lucy’s unwavering commitment to the sustainability industry has been evident for the last five years. Her achievements are outstanding and she continues to lead the way in applying new sustainability guidance, working to deliver net zero carbon buildings across our practice.

“We are so happy to see Michelle’s inspirational leadership gain more recognition. Her leadership style comes from her skills as an engineer, her love of collaboration and her ability to spot and develop talent. She has a steely belief in her own judgement and a determination to do things right. She draws loyalty and respect from clients and colleagues alike and is an inspiration to us all.”