Spencer Robinson

Describe what the Mott Mac Life means to you in three words

Excellence, people, dynamic

What do you enjoy about working here?

Mott MacDonald is a global community of engineers and specialists with a passion for excellence and creating fantastic outcomes for clients. A team of people drawing on their knowledge and ability to achieve common objectives creates a fantastic working environment.

Tell us about your specialism and why you chose it

My specialist sector is stadia, venues and long span structures.

I see engineering as a highly creative process and in stadia and long span structures we can see that expressed; where confident structural language can help create an important major scale aesthetic, and that near-views and close engagement are as important as the larger scale organisation.

How do you demonstrate Technical Excellence in your work?

Many of our projects are award-winning. Such awards recognise aspects of structural engineering technical excellence, but it is important to realise that project success is achieved through all parties pulling together with common purpose.

Whilst our capabilities are fundamentally founded on excellence of core engineering disciplines, the Mott MacDonald team have the passion and knowledge to help inform the wider dialogue and communication on the project.

How do you contribute to Mott MacDonald making a difference to people and the planet?

We have the knowledge and awareness of the local and global environmental impacts of our design, our work. Stadia and venues in particular can be transformative for communities, catalysts for positive change and sustainable outcomes.

Delivering for the most sustainable design solutions is fundamental and part of our engineering DNA, whether that’s at the macro or micro scale. We continue to develop our digital tools to optimise design outcomes, striving to ensure our projects achieve their potential and achieve the best version of what they can be.

I’m also passionate about helping others grow their strengths and capabilities. This is inherent in our team culture and enables me to help develop individuals who have a desire to progress technically.

Within the structural practice I’ve supported people growth, creative structural engineering, the art of effective communication, as well as delivering sophisticated digital workflows, and sustainable design.

I am also a strong believer in broadening people’s technical knowledge - through engagement with professional institutions and educational institutions, from local schools to world class universities, writing technical papers, and presenting at conferences and seminars.

Where in the world has your role taken you?

I spent most of my engineering career in the UK, with some time also spent in South America and the Middle East.

In recent years we moved to Australia and I have worked on projects within Australia and overseas in New Zealand and Singapore.

Engineering knowledge and skills are global and can essentially take you anywhere.

What are your career highlights and achievements?

The sports projects I have been involved with range from the stunning new Compton and Edrich stands at Lord’s Cricket ground through to the iconic new home for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

One of the recent projects I am most proud to have been involved in is the One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha  – a new multi-purpose arena in the heart of Christchurch that will be a new home for the Crusaders and fantastic new multi-purpose community hub for the city.

The new 30,000 seat arena comprises a fully enclosed turf pitch and multi-mode functionality with the capability to host both world class rugby and world’s biggest international artists in concert.

The roof is one of the longest spanning building structures in the southern hemisphere and located in a highly seismic region – balancing the demands of strength and resilience with the need to maximise sunlight transmission to the natural turf.

I was charged with taking roof design from concept through to construction, which was hugely satisfying. It was a challenging ride, but it went incredibly well in terms of delivering a stunning integrated design outcome on time, to budget, and having a very happy client.

Are you involved in any additional initiatives at Mott MacDonald, aside from your day-to-day role?

My first passion is projects and the people - engaging and collaborating with our clients and the wider project team to deliver fantastic project outcomes.

Alongside this I look after the Brisbane structural practice, where I support the growth and development of a great team of engineers.

I am also the global subject matter expert for long span structures, and work to share and develop technical knowledge and experience within all the structural practices globally within Mott MacDonald.

Awards and recognitions

• Industry award: IStructE Supreme Engineering award (2019 THFC)
• Industry award: Structural Steel Design Award (Lord's Cricket Compton and Edrich Stands 2022)

Professional memberships

• Institution of Structural Engineers
• Engineers Australia

Publications (third party or Mott MacDonald)

• Author - CTBUH Technical Paper: Tall buildings: Innovative solutions to complex geometric forms in tall buildings (2012)
• Author - IABSE Technical Papers Tall buildings: Tower 114 KAFD - Analysis and Design in plane forces (2012)