Profile
DBSW is led by Damian Brenlla, a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers and of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Damian has completed projects throughout the UK and internationally at both design and managerial levels. He also led numerous technical peer reviews of existing and proposed structures, including bridges, high-rise and listed buildings. He is passionate about innovation and exploring the use of new materials to expand the possibilities of structural engineering and its applications in the built environment, especially regarding sustainability.
Background
Damian holds degrees in both structural and architectural engineering, a combination that shapes how he approaches every project — structurally precise, architecturally literate. His career has spanned the UK and abroad, working with architects, contractors and clients across a significant range of sectors and construction typologies. His professional profile is fundamentally of a structural designer, although he has been involved in civil engineering at certain stages of his career. Damian has a clear understanding of the Client’s, architect’s, and contractor’s expectations, which, together with the specifics of a significant number of construction sectors, inform every stage of the design process, bringing efficiency without sacrificing technical quality.
Design Focused
During his career as an engineer, Damian developed a sense of responsibility in terms of aesthetics where structures serve an architectural or design purpose in terms of their shape, form and use. Structural engineering is both an art and a technological discipline living on a fine line between tradition and innovation. Damian takes pride in diving deep and exploring an ample range of structural ideas in a similar way as a craftsman shapes different possibilities with raw materials. In the technological and scientific aspect, whilst simplicity and elegance are always sought after, sometimes structural proposals require to be complex and this is something that his technical expertise can provide.
Commitment
Damian is a Chartered Engineer and holds Fellowship of both the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers — a distinction reflecting sustained contribution to the profession as well as technical practice. He serves on the IStructE Structural Futures Committee and the Joint Board of Moderators, and mentors engineers through both institutions. He is also a STEM Ambassador, promoting engineering as a career choice for young people.