Engineering is not all about hard hats and boots, as Laura Mansel-Thomas knows.

In fact the buildings service engineer and director of engineering and environmental design at Ingleton Wood building consultancy, in Colchester, is surprised more people are not entering the profession.

Laura says: “Despite having engineering in the title, this job is not about heavy lifting, hard hats and boots.

“Yes, when you first start out it may involve lots of site visits, but that is more to do with inspecting the construction work of buildings that you have designed elements of, and checking it’s in accordance with your designs. What we do is more of a design role.”

Ingleton Wood provides services including architectural, building surveying and consultancy.

Laura started her career in the industry after completing a degree in environmental building services, which looks at how buildings perform and how they can work more efficiently.

She explains: “As a buildings service engineer I looked at things like lighting and heating, how to use less energy. The problem is this side of engineering is little known, so we don’t have so many people coming into the industry.

“Along with the structural engineer and architect, who are there right from the start, I plan out how the venue works, taking it from just a structure to a proper building with a use.

“But what interests me is doing design better and tying it up with the environment in order to make buildings better. That’s what I really love about the job.”

Being a woman in engineering has not posed problems for Laura. She says her gender is not something anyone notices when she is doing her job.

The only time she does notice is when there are other women present at meetings.

One of Laura’s first projects was the temporary pavilion at Lords Cricket Ground. She followed that up with work on a cricket school at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, in Birmingham, and then later went back to her college at Cambridge, where she was on the team creating a low energy building.

She says: “That was a really brilliant project. I got my chartered engineer status through it as well.”

She was also the buildings service engineer for the Shed, in London, which recently received a special Civic Trust award, which are presented to buildings of outstanding architectural and environmental significance.

Laura studied geography at Oxford and then did a masters in bio-chemical engineering at UCL.

She says: “That’s where I realised I wanted to do engineering rather than straight science. I went to work at a water research centre and then did a Phd in waste water treatment at Imperial.

“It was about that time I answered an advert for a job as an environmental engineer, but dealing with buildings.”

Laura says those interested in a career in engineering and design need to have an aptitude and interest in maths and science.

Technical drawing skills are beneficial, though most new recruits come to Ingleton Wood after having studied a degree in buildings services or mechanical engineering.

She says: “We do sponsor people to get their degrees. We also support people in their degrees while they work and get paid for it. We are also looking into apprenticeships.

“We are always happy to talk to people who may want to do some work experience or an internship to learn a bit more.”