40 Years of Hannans: Q&A with Carl Pickford and Andy Carrington

Carl and Andy began their careers in the construction industry in 1998 when they joined Hannan Associates as Apprentice Building Services Engineers. They’re now Associate Engineers and both core members of the Hannan team, contributing to the success of a wide range of projects and the continued growth of the company.

Name: Carl Pickford

Role: Associate & Electrical Design Engineer

Tell us a little bit about how you came to join Hannan Associates and what it was like when you started.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do,  but I knew I was practical minded – I moved out of home at a young age and bought a house to renovate. I tried full time education attending college and it wasn’t for me. An apprenticeship felt like the right fit, I wanted to learn on the job and earn money.

I had to take two buses to get to the office, which took over an hour. The office was full of drawing boards and I sat at a little desk in the corner with Mike Perkins, with no computer!

The only engineer to have a computer back then was Terry Fildes. We had a small CAD department upstairs and the admin team had computers as well. Everyone dressed smartly, a shirt and tie was the norm. I found Bill Hannan to be a real character but it was Dave Teale, the electrical associate, who took me under his wing. He looked after me, keeping me busy and encouraging me to progress, he was a real gentleman and a gentle giant.

How has the business changed since you joined?

I have seen massive changes in my time. Seen lots of faces come and go but there remains a core of people who have been here from the start including Andy C who started the same day I did all those years ago.
Everything moves so much quicker than it used to, letters and faxes exchanged over days and weeks have been replaced with emails requiring immediate responses.
Engineers with calculators, hand written letters, and marking up drawings on drawing boards have been replaced by engineers who can use Microsoft Office, 2D and 3D drawing software.
We all seem to handle more projects and get through them faster than in years gone by.

What do you think has been the key to keeping so many long-term clients happy over the years?

We provide a good level of service and are committed to delivering a good job

We work hard to deliver and not afraid to stay a little longer to get the job done

We continually improve our working methods and processes, always refining what we do

Maybe not as refined as some of the bigger practices but we understand buildings and services

We understand the importance of providing early input into the whole building design as it develops, not just MEP, we know which elements of the design must be considered and factored into the design from the start.

What do you think the next ten years holds for Hannan Associates and the industry?

The industry has gone through some significant changes in recent years.

Climate Change, the COVID 19 Pandemic, Wellness and Wellbeing, and Grenfell Tower Fire disaster have all impacted on the way buildings are designed and used.

We are on a path with NZC, there have been huge improvements in building design to reduce carbon emissions and this is set to continue.

Sustainability and the reduction of carbon emissions is the number one consideration on every project.

Building design is constantly changing, building services technologies are improving all the time, it is a great industry to be in.

What are you most proud of in terms of your contribution to the business? 

I pride myself on working hard and being someone that can be relied on.

I contribute to the way we do projects and the development of the processes we use.

I appreciate the start I was given at Hannan 25 years ago and thankful to all those that have helped shaped me.

Name: Andrew Carrington

Role: Associate & Mechanical Design Engineer

Tell us a little bit about how you came to join Hannan Associates and what it was like when you started.

I joined Hannan’s as an apprentice engineer in 1998, aged 18. Leaving school I had no idea what career path I was going to take so went into the local Job Office to see what was available.

After scouring various options I noticed the Building Services apprentice role and i thought every building needs Building Services and there are lots of buildings! I chose the apprenticeship route because it gave me the opportunity to start gaining experience of the working environment whilst continuing to learn, as after leaving sixth form I didn’t want to go straight to university full time. There was a definite benefit in being able to put into practice what I was learning on the job.

When I initially joined Hannans we were in the old office in Compstall with a very different working environment to today. Drawings produced on tracing paper and hand written calculations rather than using any software. Everyone using phones by their desk rather than mobiles and the fax machine utilised for any “urgent” communication.  I joined alongside Carl Pickford, Mike Perkins and Gareth Webb, we were the first apprentices that Hannan’s employed and I like to think we’ve all done well!

How has the business changed since you joined?

Some things about the business haven’t changed much – our focus on building and maintaining client & consultant relationships;  our key sector focus – commercial, industrial, stadia, residential; our focus on low energy design…… have all been consistent themes in our 40 years, but in many other ways the industry has changed a lot and has obviously impacted the way we do business.

The technology we use; the way we communicate; the pace the projects move at; client & market needs and expectations; the world of work …….. there is obviously a much stronger focus now on sustainability on most projects we are working on. As Building Services engineers we are playing an integral role to helping the built environment meet NZC targets and we have subsequently invested heavily in developing our sustainability expertise along with establishing an in house Building Physics team to meet the increase in client needs.

What do you think has been the key to keeping so many long-term clients happy over the years?

Consistency in terms of resourcing – it definitely benefits our clients if the same engineers continue to work with the same clients – we get to know the client, their needs and their individual ways of working. We each take a personal responsibility for the projects we are involved with – we are committed to delivering a successful project.

Strong sector expertise – we tend to each have expertise of certain sectors and by continuing to build upon this expertise from project to project means we have a lot of key, relevant experience and project data to contribute to the design process.

Delivering what you promise and when to the client and other design team members and contributing added value where possible

What do you think the next ten years holds for Hannan Associates and the industry?

We will continue to increase our Sustainability expertise and service offering, to meet client needs.

We will continue to grow our sustainability and building physics teams along with the partnerships we have with external consultants.

The desire for NZC will cause the construction industry to adapt and develop to provide appropriate solutions. Its going to involve all parties – clients, architects, end users etc. Its not down to one party, we all need to do our bit.

What are you most proud of in terms of your contribution to the business? 

Hannans have been very supportive throughout all my training – my HNC and ONC in Building Services, my BEng (Hons) Building Services Engineering degree, CIBSE Low Carbon Consultant & Energy Assessor qualifications leading up to achieving my Incorporated Engineer registration.

I believe my personal transformation from apprentice to associate has helped Hannans progress and develop as a business during my time. I’ve helped develop standards and methods of working to allow us respond to the ever changing needs of our clients.