The current education system does not produce cross-fertilised disciplines (although skills like coding are becoming more endemic in the cohorts entering the workforce today).. Perhaps a more pressing problem is the fact that the new workforce of the 2020s is not keen to travel into an office or laboratory to work, preferring working remotely.. For research work and smaller more specialised laboratories, the automation story is different.

Bryden Wood’s Head of XR + Interaction, Director Elite Sher, says her focus lies in ‘combining software engineering and design, in innovative and creative applications, using cutting-edge technologies.’.Sher is a finalist in the ‘Best Woman Software Engineer’ category of the WICE Awards and has an MSc in Adaptive Architecture and Computation from UCL, The Bartlett.

It was there, she says, that she gained ‘theoretical and practical experience dealing with robotics, AI, machine learning, software engineering, and creative computation.’.A founding member of Bryden Wood’s Creative Technologies team, Elite says she initially worked to develop ‘bespoke tools focusing on data collection and visualisation.’ She subsequently expanded her experience as a lead developer in the R&D department for HOK and perfected her software development skills as a full stack developer for a FinTech start up, developing both front and back end.Asked by Microsoft in 2015 to join their ‘Creative Studios’ R&D team, Sher acted as an innovation engineer and designer for the tech giant, specialising in virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.. Having rejoined Bryden Wood in 2017 with the purpose of establishing a VR and AR development team, Elite says the move was a great opportunity.

Board Director Phil Langley describes the XR + Interaction group’s focus, as being on game engine technology for virtual reality, augmented reality and web/mobile app development.The aim, he says, is on creating and implementing ‘BIM driven workflows for VR and AR across Bryden Wood, as well as a number of highly innovative apps for both public and private sector clients.’.

Sher has, in fact, led the team in the design of the two pioneering, web-based, open source configuration apps on which Jami Cresser-Brown is also working: the Innovate UK funded project for the rapid design of primary schools, as well as the design accelerator for systemised housing in London supported by the GLA.. ‘Elite contributes not just software engineering skills,’ says Langley, ‘but also a creative perspective on software development.

Her approach and impact is apparent in each of the apps and tools that the team creates, and has led to the establishment of a unique capability within Bryden Wood.’.Our mission is to transform the design and construction industry using process engineering methodologies, centered around integrated design, construction tech and modern methods of construction.

Over the last 25 years we have come up with very efficient and elegant designs for the buildings or infrastructure our clients have needed.What we have also learned is that what our clients need is more than a well-designed building or construction solution.

It’s a solution to a business problem..They might be a pharmaceutical company trying to meet demand for their products in an emerging market; a hospital provider that aims to distinguish itself by providing an efficient and hotel-like experience to patients; or the government transforming the prison estate so that it is more rehabilitative.