Hope Tique Organista
Low Energy Building Services MSc Graduate
Hope had many successes as a student at Loughborough University, especially winning the ASHRAE competition. She completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate degree at Loughborough, which helped kick-start her career. In this post, she reflects on her time at Loughborough and her successful involvement in competitions while studying.
"I chose Loughborough University predominantly for its strong academic profile in engineering as well as its incredible campus. Throughout my bachelor's degree, I was strongly supported and guided by my professors. That made me realise that I didn't want to go anywhere else for my master's degree.
My undergraduate dissertation focused on climate change and building performance simulations. It exposed me to DesignBuilder, an amazing performance simulation tool. My postgraduate research focused on the use of BIM and VR. This research contributed to assessing the feasibility and advantages/disadvantages of using VR in the industry. Both research projects opened my eyes to the technology I could be working with one day, showing the endless opportunities the engineering industry has to offer.
One of my greatest achievements was winning third place in the CIOB Global Student Challenge with my GSC team back in 2018. The finals were held in Toronto, which was incredibly exciting for us. It was my first time representing Loughborough University in a competition. I loved the experience and it inspired me to enter other competitions.
My GSC team entered the ASHRAE Integrated Sustainable Building Design competition. The aim was to propose a new design for a healthcare facility located in Budapest. The design had to be energy efficient, implement RE technologies, factor in sustainability aspects and comply with the American Building Standard. The latter stages were really challenging and we were certain we wouldn’t have a chance against other universities who had been part of the competition for many years as it was Loughborough’s first time. When the winners were announced, we were very surprised and humbled to hear that we had won. All our hard work paid off and it increased my confidence.
I can’t thank Dr. Mahroo Eftekhari, my MSc Programme Director enough for all the support and encouragement she gave me during my master's degree. She cares about her students and wants to see them succeed. It was amazing to have a role model like her as she pushed me to work hard and do my best.
I have always wanted to land a graduate job with an engineering firm and eventually become a chartered engineer. I now have a graduate role with WSP as a Graduate Engineer for Building Physics and Performance Engineering, which has been really enjoyable so far. My master's degree was accredited by CIBSE, meaning it will significantly help me towards getting chartered.
My Loughborough University experience and achievements have inspired me to become a role model for younger generations. I am hoping to work with schools in STEM engagement as part of my graduate scheme. I want to encourage students to have the motivation and confidence to take on new challenges and opportunities to grow and develop their skills."