In this episode of How We Build..., host Nevena Vajdic speaks with Percy Lam and Felicia Anderson, two professionals who returned to academia for their PhDs after years in industry. They reflect on how practical experience shapes research, and share their ideas about the future of civil engineering. From gaming-inspired thinking to the hybrid professionals, this conversation explores how engineers can evolve to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Music: "C-Funk" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

In this inaugural episode of How We Build…, host Nevena Vajdic sits down with Mark Enzer, strategic advisor at Mott MacDonald and visiting professor at both Cambridge and Imperial College London, to explore the transformative power of systems thinking in civil engineering and the built environment.

Mark shares insights from his extensive experience leading the National Digital Twin Programme and championing digitalization, collaborative delivery, and the circular economy. Together, they unpack what it means to shift from a project-based mindset to a systems-based approach, one that prioritizes outcomes over outputs and sees the built environment as a complex, interconnected system.

This episode was originally recorded in June 2025.

Music: "C-Funk" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Get to know How We Build..., the podcast about civil engineering in a different way. Host Nevena Vajdic shares why this show exists, what stories you'll hear, and how it aims to build a community of curious, forward-thinking colleagues. For engineers, students, and anyone fascinated by civil engineering.

Music: "C-Funk" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/