Arup is  an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services.  Founded in 1946 with an initial focus on structural engineering, Arup first came to the world’s attention with the structural design of the Sydney Opera House, followed by its work on the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Arup has since grown into a truly multidisciplinary organisation. Most recently, its work for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing has reaffirmed its reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs that reinvent the built environment.

Arup brings together broad-minded individuals from a wide range of disciplines and encourages them to look beyond the constraints of their own specialisms.

This unconventional approach to design springs in part from Arup’s ownership structure. The firm is owned in trust on behalf of its staff. The result is an independence of spirit that is reflected in the firm’s work, and in its dedicated pursuit of technical excellence. Honesty, fair dealings with others, and a commitment to humanitarian aims were articulated as key principles in 1970 by the firm’s founder, Ove Arup. These values remain fundamental to the way Arup operates today.

A commitment to the environment and the communities in which Arup works has always been at the heart of the company’s ethos. This commitment influences Arup’s approach to projects, to clients and collaborators.

Arup was a founder member of RedR, an international charity that coordinates the deployment of skilled professionals to where they have most impact in emergency situations. Arup engineers have taken part in field assignments to provide help at the scene of disasters such as the Szechuan earthquake and hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the US. Many more actively fundraise for RedR.