Q&A: Miguel Martinez-Pañeda, Structural Engineer at Arup

Why did you first become interested in science/engineering/STEM?
Interestingly enough, I almost always wanted to be an architect rather than an engineer. As a child, I was fascinated by buildings, the spaces they create and their contribution to the urban environment. I loved the blend of art and science that leads to something tangible and beneficial to society. I have always been a curious person, and my parents encouraged it; I was fascinated by boats, bridges, planes, and how things came together. 

However, during the final years of my architectural degree, I realised that structural engineering was the part of building design I enjoyed the most. What I had wrongly assumed was mainly about calculations turned out to be a field full of creativity and bold possibilities, merging the laws of physics with design ambition to define the architectural possibilities of any building.

How did you get to where you are now?
Encouraged by excellent maths and physics teachers at school, I developed a love for technical subjects that has guided my career. After seven years studying architecture at the Technical University of Madrid, I moved to London and, just a week after submitting my master’s thesis, joined the Structural Engineering Group at Foster + Partners as an assistant engineer.

Working as a structural engineer in an architectural practice confirmed my passion for structural design and showed me how much there was still to learn. The following year, with Foster + Partners’ sponsorship, I completed an MSc in advanced structural engineering at Imperial College London before returning to Foster + Partners. I stayed there until 2022, then I moved to my current position at Arup London, with the opportunity to continue to work on groundbreaking global projects. 

Alongside practice, I have fuelled my curiosity for innovation through research on a novel damping system for tall buildings we are developing at Imperial College London, based on an idea I first proposed during my MSc. Instead of adding large auxiliary masses, like in a traditional tuned mass damper, the system aims to make the most of what we already have by mobilising a portion of the building’s own mass as damper mass and allowing it to move ever so slightly relative to the rest of the structure. This breaks with the conventional view of buildings as rigid, static objects, but has been shown to perform extremely well under both wind and seismic. With Arup’s support, I’ve been able to combine full-time professional work with academic research, a combination that enabled me to continue learning and stay connected with new ideas in our field.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Receiving the Royal Academy of Engineering Young Engineer of the Year Award has been my proudest personal recognition so far. It was unexpected, but I see it as validation of my drive to innovate and apply creative thinking across both research and practice.

In terms of built work, I’m very proud of Apple Aventura – an Apple store that is known for its art-deco inspired concrete undulating roof – in Miami, which I followed from concept to opening, and MOL Campus in Budapest, my first tall building design in a seismic zone. I am particularly excited to see the completion of the BDO Unibank HQ towers in the Philippines, currently under construction. As a design in a high-seismic and typhoon-prone region, we had to adopt bold and sustainable design strategies that I think will become a true landmark for the region. Inspired by traditional Filipino architecture, we provided outside shading to the building by bringing the structure to the outside. By creating an exoskeleton for the building, we improved cooling and made the office space more flexible. This design made the structure stronger against side forces and allowed us to use a very efficient frame around the building to keep it safe during strong typhoons and large earthquakes. We had to use new, more advanced earthquake design methods instead of just following standard rules, but the extra work was worth it.

What is your favourite thing about being an engineer?
My favourite thing about being an engineer is the ability to shape the world around us in ways that directly improve people’s lives, creating better and more stimulating spaces. I love the blend of art and science, navigating the constraints of physics while using creativity to find elegant, efficient solutions.

From the blank sheet of paper at the start of a project to seeing a building come to life, few things are as rewarding as watching an idea become part of the city. I feel very fortunate to experience that process.

What does a typical day involve for you?
After my early morning sport, you will usually find me in the office. I am a big advocate of collaborative working, fostering knowledge-sharing communities, to improve team spirit and to encourage everyone to share ideas freely. You never know who might have the best idea. As designing and constructing buildings is a complex, multidisciplinary effort, a large part of my day involves discussions with teams across disciplines and sectors. 

As every project is unique, to find the optimal solution for each case it is important to interrogate every single aspect of the design and explore if there are better solutions available. While the myth of the lone genius creator still lingers, in my view, achieving the best holistic solution relies on a collaborative team that draws upon strengths in diverse areas.

As a structural and multidisciplinary lead on several projects at Arup, I spend time coordinating and reviewing work while maintaining hands-on involvement with design and analysis. Whenever possible, I also enjoy taking on calculations for elements or systems that are new to me or that I particularly enjoy, as a way to keep learning. Site visits can also be an enjoyable change from the office and a chance to see designs start to come to fruition.

In the evenings, I am currently focused on finalising my PhD but I also keep a close eye on talks or events in the field and enjoy crossing paths socially with other architects and engineers. I find the parallel research work I do with Imperial College London very rewarding as it allows me to explore technical areas of interest and helps me stay up to date with emerging trends in structural engineering and tall building design, which is beneficial for my day-to-day work.

Having grown up near the Picos de Europa in northern Spain, in my free time I take every opportunity to unwind in the mountains, ski racing in winter and hiking in summer. This change of scene helps me approach things with new perspectives. 

What would be your advice to young people looking to pursue a career in engineering?
I would advise them to be curious and question everything. This is especially true if you want to do something unique and that you really enjoy. To reject explanations such as “it has always been done this way” and find the true cause for things to be in a certain manner, there might be a better one. True innovation comes from challenging assumptions and looking at problems from different angles.

Finally, I would also highlight the importance of learning the fundamentals and never losing sight of them. The basic things are the most important. I often find myself trying to bring things back to first principles to simplify problems, so make sure you truly understand them. They are very powerful tools that can simplify even the most complex problems. If you stay curious, keep learning, and find joy in what you do, engineering will provide you with an incredibly rewarding journey.

What’s next for you?
I am currently involved in several exciting projects, including the recently approved 176-178 York Way scheme, in the Kings Cross area of London, to redevelop a vacant site that has resisted development for 30 years. It’s a variation from my usual focus on tall buildings, but no less of a challenge because of the shallow historic masonry tunnels crossing the plot. In parallel, I am working with a friend and the bridges team at Arup on a paid competition for an iconic road and pedestrian bridge outside Europe. It would be my first bridge design, so I am finding it incredibly enjoyable. There are also a few tall building opportunities on the horizon that I am quite optimistic about, so we will have to see how they evolve.

Besides this, I plan to complete my PhD by the end of the year in addition to supplementary wind tunnel testing. We are also starting to explore options for large-scale testing and taking our idea and small variations of it closer to real-world applications.

Exciting times ahead!