Q&A: Brogan MacDonald, structural engineer and Sir George Macfarlane Medal winner

What does your role involve?

I am Head of Sustainability, Building Structures, at Ramboll UK. I lead on embodied carbon, circularity and reuse, and regenerative approaches to design at the company. My focus is on challenging conventional design thinking, moving beyond reducing harm towards actively creating net positive environmental and social impact. This involves developing strategies, leading research, and working closely with multidisciplinary teams to embed regenerative principles into live projects.

Outside of my formal role, I’m also a 250-hour certified yoga teacher, and I’ve started to integrate elements of this into my work by bringing greater presence, introspection, and awareness into the corporate environment.

What has been your biggest achievement or success in the last year?

This year has been incredibly rewarding. I co-authored Creating a Business Case for Regenerative Design in collaboration with Living Future Europe – the first report of its kind to articulate how regenerative principles can translate into tangible value.

Alongside this, I co-led a research project, ‘Measuring biodiversity impacts in construction supply chains’, which we also published earlier this year. This work is another industry first and represents a significant step toward quantifying the embodied ecological impact of materials. Both pieces aim to shift the conversation from ambition to measurable, actionable change.

Are new and emerging technologies having an impact on your role? If so, how?

Of course! AI and emerging technologies are everywhere, and there are some genuinely exciting developments. For example, the use of drones to scan biodiversity hotspots and better understand ecological loss linked to material extraction is incredibly powerful.

That said, I don’t see myself as a ‘tools and tech’ person. What interests me more is how we deepen our connection with people and nature to improve outcomes. Technology can support us, but it can’t replace human judgement, creativity, or empathy. The real challenge lies in behavioural change: how we think, act, and collaborate differently.

What is your advice to budding engineers?

Surround yourself with people you admire – seek out mentors and don’t be afraid to ask for a coffee and a conversation. Pay attention to the skills others have that you don’t and learn from them!

Find your niche and lean into what genuinely excites you. Passion is what sustains a meaningful career. And most importantly, be authentically yourself – there’s real power in that.

How does it feel to win this award?

So much gratitude – and it feels like the biggest hug to my younger self. I had a pretty hard time at school, and I often think about what I’d say to that younger version of me. I’d tell her that everything is going to be OK – more than OK actually; it’s going to be amazing!!