Building Services Jobs

Building services engineers are responsible for ensuring that the electrical, mechanical and telecoms aspects of new buildings perform effectively and efficiently.

The job may include tasks such as: designing and maintaining air conditioning, elevators and other mechanical systems; distributing electricity and water supply; and providing lighting and heating.

Building services engineers are responsible, in short, for all the functional characteristics of a building that take it from being an empty shell to a comfortable living space. In their work, they need to consider: health and safety features, such as emergency procedures and security; sustainability; and cost effectiveness. Building services engineering projects can vary from designing the air filtration system in a forensic lab to engineering the flood lights in a sports stadium.

Typical work activities include:

designing the layout of energy distribution, water pipes and ventilation systems and identifying relevant materials
drawing up plans using computer-aided design and building information modelling software
carrying out tests on systems and making changes to plans where necessary
monitoring the installation of services and managing their maintenance once the building is completed
making sure that all building services meet health and safety requirements and environmental legislation.
negotiating contracts with clients, particularly in consultancy work
liaising with plumbers, electricians, surveyors, architectural technologists and other construction professionals
giving presentations and writing reports highlighting the practical implications of the architect’s designs
promoting energy efficiency and other sustainability initiatives
managing teams of people
Put simplistically: building services engineers that work for construction consultancies tend to focus on the design of the systems; those that work for construction contractors oversee how the designs are implemented on site; and those that work for facilities management or property companies will maintain or repair the services.