Eirini Matsouki

When did you join the Atkins Group?

17 November 2004.

Why did you join Atkins?

Atkins has a prestigious position in the industry as a multidisciplinary company and would enable me to work closely with all disciplines and even join other teams to gain more experience.

What did you do before you joined Atkins?

Before joining Atkins I worked for a boutique environmental design consultancy. I then wanted to try a larger corporate company to gain better experience.

How would you describe your role and responsibilities?

I’m a sustainability consultant on secondment to Faithful+Gould, advising on low energy environmental design strategies and carry out environmental and sustainability assessments.

How do you describe what you do to friends and family?

I say I have a job that gives me the chance to move around in disciplines enhancing my experience and knowledge on all the elements that comprise a responsible building.

Do you have any professional accreditations?

Chartered architect in Greece, LEED Accredited Professional, Architect’s Registration Board pending.

What key projects have you worked on?

UK projects include the Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME), the Colchester Garrison, London 2012 Olympic Park and legacy facilities, Lowestoft College and Crossrail. I’ve also worked on various projects abroad including the Coral Island when seconded in Dubai.

What are you currently working on?

On the sustainability assessments of Citibank and Goldman Sachs banks in London, and an office complex and the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Foundation in Athens. We’re seeking certification under the US assessment tool Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

What achievement are you most proud of?

It is a bit of a cliché but it’s the friendships and relationships I have developed in Atkins that count the most.

What’s the most technically challenging project you’ve worked on at Atkins?

Coral Island resort in the ‘The World’ development in Dubai. The aim was to make the buildings in the resort as energy efficient as possible and employ all the appropriate sustainability strategies without compromising the architecture and luxury.

How has your career developed at Atkins?

I started out with the building services team at Atkins as an environmental analyst before training as an architect. I joined the architect’s team serving as a link between the engineers and the architects and promoting the sustainable design strategies. I gained onsite experience on a couple of projects and was then seconded to our Dubai office as part of the sustainability team. Currently I’m seconded to Faithful+Gould as a sustainability consultant.

How were you supported in this?

Throughout all these moves I had the full support from a variety of people within Atkins but mainly from the building services directors.

How do architects and Atkins make a difference?

Atkins is innovative and forward-thinking and their Carbon Critical Design approach has been implemented into our everyday design work. It helps us deliver high quality design solutions in the market.