Industrial placements at Buro Happold offer opportunities for university students to work on real life projects, learning and making a tangible difference to exceptional engineering projects around the world. We spoke to Kanta Sibbett about his experience in the structural engineering team, from the events leading to his placement to his personal and professional development.
For Kanta, the built environment has had a profound importance in his life since childhood. Growing up in Osaka, Japan, Kanta’s father was based in the Umeda Sky Building when it withstood the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. The building’s resilience peaked Kanta’s curiosity about the power of design to protect people’s lives. He told us: “When my dad told me this story it got me thinking, how is that built? And that grabbed me. So I always wanted to do something building related.”
Drawn to finding creative solutions to complex challenges, Kanta enrolled on an architectural engineering degree, enjoying how creativity and engineering were linked in structures as a discipline. When seeking placement experience, Kanta was drawn to Buro Happold’s wide portfolio of projects – particularly the Van Leestem Memorial Bridge in the United States and how the team changed their solutions in accordance to changes in environment.
Another reason was Buro Happold’s care for colleagues, which became clear during his research and was further reinforced during his placement. He said, “The projects are diverse and complex, and the focus on equity and how much they care about people who work for the practice came through and was a key reason why I chose Buro Happold.”
Joining the Bath office in September 2023, the atmosphere in the team cultivated a supportive space to gain feedback and build a rich skillset, from designing simple elements to creating a structural analysis model for an entire stadium.
While gaining a wealth of experience, the team environment gave Kanta a real sense of belonging. He said, “Before joining Buro Happold, I had never set foot in an office. I was unsure if I would have enough knowledge. However, since starting I’ve always felt welcome – the fact that people were aware of my limited experience and knowledge made me relaxed.”
Kanta also enriched his experience outside of work by joining the Young Employees Forum (YEF), a space connecting Buro Happold employees in their early careers. In a new city, he found this to be a fulfilling space for professional and personal development, meeting colleagues across different departments through networking events.
Highlights included competing in the Bath Charity Dragon Boat Race to raise funds for Rainforest Concern, and outreaching events in schools – an opportunity for Kanta to give firsthand insights on his placement experience to future engineers. A recent structures trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for team building exercises, a tour and dynamic testing of the stadium was also an inspiring way to see one of the buildings the team had played a key role in.
Structural engineer Richard Gurney was Kanta’s line manager throughout his placement and said, “Kanta was a valued member of the teams he worked in and brought great energy into the office each day. Through project work he developed a good understanding of structural framing and 3D modelling using computational engineering methods.
“Alongside project work, Kanta also took on additional responsibilities as the Bath Structures Continuing Professional Development (CPD) coordinator, organising events for his new workmates. He also volunteered to help with the outreach activities during work experience week. This year Kanta has made lots of meaningful connections among his peers, evident by his regular attendance at YEF social events. We will miss his lunchtime anecdotes, told while drowning his food in his signature hot sauce!”
Kanta’s internship has reinforced his ambitions to pursue a career in structural engineering – his year in industry provided an opportunity to learn more in-depth material, pursue an ever-evolving curiosity and, in Kanta’s words, “to know what I want to know by learning more.”
