Research Project Stories: Bringing Home Insights from Earthquake Central
March 25, 2024
Research Project Stories: The Science Behind Seismic Hazard
April 10, 2024
Congratulations to Anna Philpott, the 2024 NZSEE/QuakeCoRE Emerging Women Leaders in Earthquake Engineering Award Winner.
In her 13 years in the Holmes Wellington office, Anna has progressed from Graduate Engineer to Senior Project Engineer, with her involvement on projects often extending into the Project Director role responsible for team leadership and delivery, and the Technical Director role responsible for the soundness of design solutions.
Anna has held lead design roles on several structural strengthening projects throughout her career, including the immensely complex Majestic Centre project, and for several heritage buildings including Wellington Museum, Wellington Town Hall, and Taranaki Cathedral.
Anna has been described as an engineer with a deep understanding of the first principles of structural engineering, who is able to develop practical analysis and design methods, and innovative strengthening and retrofit designs that are both practical and cost effective to construct within existing, often occupied, buildings.
Anna also wrote a Holmes Practice Note outlining an analysis method she developed, which has subsequently been developed to form part of Appendix C5D of the Seismic Assessment of Existing Buildings guidelines. This method is now used throughout New Zealand for the assessment and strengthening of existing diaphragms, as well as the design of diaphragms in new buildings.
In 2022, Anna was invited to join the Seismic Risk Working Group, which is a key body developing seismic design guidance in New Zealand, including the proposed updates to the New Zealand seismic loading and design standard (NZS1170.5).
Anna has also taken on technical coaching and training of junior engineers through project support in the Holmes Wellington office, and through technical training sessions at their offices across Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States of America.
Anna has been described by her colleagues as a highly principled, dedicated, and passionate engineer, who strives to maintain high standards, and deliver high quality outcomes.
For these reasons, Anna’s contributions to earthquake engineering in New Zealand are recognised with the 2024 NZSEE/QuakeCoRE Emerging Women Leader in Earthquake Engineering Award.
Established in 2019, this award recognises younger women from engineering practice and/or academia for emerging leadership in the field of earthquake engineering. The award has a value of $10,000 and complimentary membership of NZSEE for a year. The intent of the award is to support increased participation of women in leadership roles in earthquake engineering, in practice or academia. Applicants should be in the developing or expanding stage of her career and will be judged on a combination of past accomplishments and future potential. It is expected the awardee will use the award to further her career goals in earthquake engineering.
For more information visit the NZSEE Award page here.
