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Tanya de Hoog, 2024 President of the Institution of Structural Engineers and Chief Engineer, Eminence and Innovation Officer at Aurecon, is a structural engineer with nearly 30 years of experience working on a diverse range of award winning and landmark projects globally. Based in Sydney, Australia, de Hoog leads efforts to empower engineers and designers at international design, engineering and advisory company Aurecon to consistently deliver technical excellence in a changing industry and attain eminence as leaders in their respective fields. In 2006 she founded Thornton Tomasetti's London office and until recently was a senior leader in their New York HQ. She also holds positions at Imperial College, London Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Industry Advisory Board, and University of Cambridge, Department of Architecture, MDes Advisory Board. de Hoog is committed to raising awareness of the vital role structural engineers play in driving climate action, ensuring public safety, and making a positive impact on people's lives through their work.
STRUCTURE: You have been described as full of energy, intensity and optimism, along with displaying technical excellence and great attention to detail. Would you tell us a little about your life and upbringing that made you the person you are?
de Hoog: I grew up in Canberra, which as the seat of government in Australia attracts people from all over the world. My dad was an applied research mathematician, while my mom was a creative individual who also shared a curiosity for new cultures and new experiences, and even worked in Indonesia in her 20s. This blend of scientific rigor and artistic creativity profoundly shaped my perspective. My mom’s stories and treasures from her time in Indonesia, along with my dad’s global scientific community, instilled in me a love for different cultures, the idea of travelling, and a passion for learning. Born in Los Angeles during my dad’s first post-doctorate position at UCLA, I was exposed early on to diverse experiences and ideas that cultivated my creativity, energy, and optimism.
Playing sports and spending time outdoors in Australia’s hot climate, I developed a deep connection to nature and a strong sense of community. My mom’s passion for design, influenced by her family of dressmakers, sparked my appreciation for creating beautiful, functional things. These experiences taught me the value of integrating creativity with technical excellence and the importance of environmental stewardship. The multicultural and intellectually stimulating environment of my upbringing has deeply influenced my commitment to sustainability, always searching for new, exciting, interesting ways to progress, as well as community impact.
STRUCTURE: How do you define an 'influencer' in the field of structural engineering, particularly in terms of leadership, evolving the field, and impacting society and the environment?
de Hoog: It’s exciting and encouraging to see the explosion of an Influencing era in terms of the opportunity it creates for many more structural engineers to raise the profile of the profession, increase public understanding of it, and to share knowledge. We need more structural engineers in the world, and influencing using social media is one tool that has the potential to be a powerful force.
The bulk of my career has been pre-influencer era and with nearly 30 years of experience, my aim is to be one of those influencers in the structural engineering field who actively change, evolve, and lead our profession to deliver better, more efficient, and positive outcomes for society and the environment. People in leadership positions have the ability to influence people at scale and enact greater change with their work and message, ideally extending beyond the structural engineering profession to the entire built environment industry.
STRUCTURE: What sets you apart as an influencer in the field of structural engineering?
de Hoog: Because of my background, my contribution to the field lies in my holistic approach which integrates technical excellence with a deep sense of social and environmental responsibility. Rather than focus solely on technical advancements, I emphasize the broader impact of engineering on society and the environment. My influence extends beyond building better structures to building a better world through thoughtful, purpose-driven engineering.
STRUCTURE: What does "engineering with purpose" mean for you personally and what do you hope it will mean for others?
de Hoog: The concept of finding a vocation that has meaning and purpose is not new or specific to engineering. However, from a structural engineering perspective, the profession was originally formed with the mandate to uphold public safety, which in my view is ‘Engineering with Purpose.'
As my own career evolved, I started to recognize that it was the impact and outcomes of the projects I was working on, and the people I was working with that was what motivated me. In the last decade, this has become even more specific in terms of accelerating positive impact towards people in our communities and protecting the planet. The world needs more engineers, especially given the current and future challenges of climate change, and we need to accelerate and scale our impact. For this reason, I want people to recognize their potential for impact early in their careers in order to maximize it.
In my new role as Chief Engineer at Aurecon, I am able to lead and influence thousands of engineers, encouraging them to identify their core values and apply them in their work. This approach aims to address the most pressing issues of our time by creating solutions for our client's complex problems that are innovative and meaningful.
Ultimately, it's about engineering that serves society and the environment, creating a better future for people and the planet.
STRUCTURE: For lack of a better term, “first world” engineers can reduce carbon emissions by choosing material A versus material B, designing with structural different forms, etc. But most of the world lacks those options, building some form of stacked concrete box with lots of walls and very few windows. What can SEs do to help those with limited material choices, particularly in areas of the world experiencing most of the population growth?
de Hoog: Structural engineers play a crucial role in addressing climate change and its impacts. While reducing carbon emissions is important, it's just one aspect of our responsibility. Ensuring that structures are resilient, adaptable, and sustainable is equally crucial. This includes designing buildings that can withstand environmental changes, can be reused, and contribute to a circular economy. Although not every project will allow for significant carbon reductions, engineers can still make incremental improvements by sharing knowledge and best practices globally. This is why I am driven to ensure equal access to knowledge and resources for engineers worldwide, enabling them to make informed and impactful decisions that are locally relevant and powered by the depth of knowledge from a global profession.
STRUCTURE: What do you do to learn new things? Any suggestions for others?
de Hoog: A solid foundation is the most powerful ingredient for successful change from my experience. In engineering terms, mentors helped me understand that managing change comes from having a robust understanding of the fundamentals of engineering and a strong collaborative team of engineers who have requisite experience. Delivering new ideas is a team endeavor. This is why I believe so strongly in the power of mentoring and being mentored, as it provides valuable insights and different perspectives. Staying curious, embracing new technologies, actively seeking opportunities for growth and being comfortable outside our comfort zones, both personally and professionally, are essential.
STRUCTURE: Awe-inspiring structures are all around us. But in reality, many of those structures are intended for and used by a limited audience. How should SEs design structures to touch more people and create more equity?
de Hoog: There is much need for more attainable housing, increased sustainability, resilience, safety, and community amongst many other societal challenges. Therefore, I believe we will reconsider in the future what awe-inspiring structures mean; might they be a combination of scale, beauty, functionality and fairness? To design for equity, structural engineers must consider the broader social impact of their projects. This means designing structures that are accessible, affordable, and beneficial to a wide range of people. Equity in design is about ensuring that everyone has access to safe, healthy, and inspiring spaces, and that these spaces are designed to ensure everyone can thrive in and around them.
STRUCTURE: How can SEs improve their contribution to the design process and make the resulting structure even better than the architect’s original vision? Would you cite an example of when your contributions impacted the design for the better?
de Hoog: An example from my experience is the design of Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Brooklyn. By working closely with the like-minded, purpose driven Architects like Studio Gang and the whole design and build team led by Lend Lease, we were able to incorporate innovative structural solutions that not only met the aesthetic goals but also improved the building’s performance and sustainability. This kind of synergy between disciplines leads to better outcomes.
STRUCTURE: Your career has taken you to jobs around the globe. How did you do it, and from your experience, what are the more risk-averse engineers missing out on?
de Hoog: I have always been fortunate to work with and for people who have supported me. The confidence I had to make the leap from one thing to the next came from having built up a solid base and a supportive community. It is why I am so driven to increase awareness of the power of the structural engineering community we have access to through our institutions.
Having the ability to work in different countries has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my professional journey, and I believe that other engineers can benefit immensely from similar experiences. By being open to new challenges, and always having a curious mindset and desire for continuous improvement, they can develop a more well-rounded skill set, build a global network, and bring fresh insights to their work.
STRUCTURE: Engineers appear to be under increasing pressure for profit (low fees) and from demanding schedules (fast-tracking), negatively impacting their design creativity, thoroughness, and learning during construction. How have you tackled those dilemmas in your own career?
de Hoog: Balancing profit pressures and demanding schedules is challenging, yet it’s possible to take some control of the business of engineering with the right approach, the right team, and most importantly the right clients. People who are aligned in their goals and have a depth of experience or access to it are essential for success. In my career, I’ve focused on fostering a culture of creativity, efficiency, and innovation. This means streamlining processes, leveraging technology appropriately, and encouraging creative problem-solving. By far the most successful approach after technical excellence is cultivating clients who understand the value and importance of our work, and see us as an essential partner, beyond the traditional role of the engineer that sizes the structure. By maintaining high standards and prioritizing long-term relationships over short-term gains, we can achieve a balance that benefits both our clients and our teams.
STRUCTURE: What lessons did you learn from opening an office in London that would be helpful to others starting a new endeavor?
de Hoog: When I co-founded the London office of Thornton Tomasetti, the goal was to deliver creative, innovative engineering solutions alongside some of the world’s best Architects from UK and Europe. The joy of engineering for me and for our team came from the process of being involved in these types of projects. The vision for the office never changed the strategy, and the approach evolved with the changes to the environment around us. Opening an office in London taught me the importance of adaptability and local knowledge. Understanding the market, building a strong team, and establishing a clear vision were key factors in our success. For others starting a new endeavor, I would recommend thorough research, building a strong support and client network, and being prepared to pivot as needed. More importantly though, establish your ‘Why’—the purpose behind your engineering that you can go back to you whenever the road gets bumpy … which it will!
STRUCTURE: Mentoring is important, whether it is one on one or more evenly spread to many people. What have you found to work best and what can other engineers learn from your experiences?
de Hoog: Effective mentoring is about building trust and providing tailored guidance. One-on-one mentoring allows for personalized support, while group programs can create a sense of community and shared learning. In my experience, combining both approaches works best. For example, the senior women’s mentoring at The Institution of Structural Engineers International I recently ran provided small group mentorship while also unintentionally creating an impactful network among participants. Engineers can learn from this by being proactive in seeking and offering mentorship, being open to feedback, and creating environments where knowledge sharing is encouraged. My recent experience is that many engineers are very generous with their own knowledge and willingness to share it and mentor others. It is more challenging to find equally as many engineers more experienced in their career who put their hand up and ask for mentoring. Our careers become exponentially more impactful as we get older and gain more knowledge and my view is that the impact of support through mentoring as our careers progress allows us to leverage and multiply the impact of our work by gaining different knowledge, perspective, and advice from others.
STRUCTURE: In terms of reducing our harmful impacts on the planet, what should be doing differently?
de Hoog: Reducing our harmful impacts requires a collective effort across all sectors of society. For engineers, it means prioritizing sustainable practices in our designs and operations. This needs to be balanced against risk and future adaptability. In order to do this, we must appreciate and then embrace a culture of lifelong learning and continuously develop our professional capabilities to address these challenges. The good news is that in our professional lives, we have the ability to have up to 100 times more impact than in our personal lives. So this means, the most powerful way for engineers to positively impact the planet is to practice engineering, and do it in a way that improves what was done yesterday. The most available example of this today is in reducing embodied carbon in design by reducing the amount of material required through repair, reuse, reduction in volume of material, use of lower carbon materials, and several other means. Of course, there are a vast number of other options available now and these are increasing. ■