Personality Profile Sponsored by :
STRIKING A BALANCE
Compiled by Benjamin Brits This engineer enjoys every opportunity to innovate in project design .
Ricardo da Silva was born and raised in Pretoria , Gauteng .
He attended Pretoria Boys High School and then proceeded to graduate from the University of Pretoria with a Bachelor ’ s degree in mechanical engineering in 2011 . During his time at university he received a bursary from Hatch , and this is where his career in engineering kicked off .
Beginning his working life at Hatch in the mining sector was an extremely beneficial learning experience as he recalls . This however coincided with a drastic downturn in the mining economy and so projects became few and far between .
“ As a junior engineer I needed practical on-site experience , which was difficult to come by during that time . I therefore moved to Delta Built Environment Consultants who operate predominantly in the built environment sector for a short stint , and there I was immediately involved in several impressive projects that provided me with invaluable experience . I then moved to Spoormaker and Partners and have been with the company since mid 2015 ”, he says .
Working at Spoormaker and Partners has ignited an innovative streak which has provided interesting and challenging designs that ultimately result in great value-add to clients . As a team member in one of the leading consulting firms in the HVAC industry , this has afforded da Silva the opportunity for involvement on many more renowned building projects which test both the limits of his knowledge and experience , and these aspects are what he enjoys most about his work .
Considering his hobbies and interests , da Silva has been an avid sports fan since his childhood and plays a variety of sports , including soccer and squash . When he is not partaking in sporting activities , he enjoys spending time with his wife and child , and further has travelled South Africa from coast-tocoast a number of times .
Without a doubt , he notes , the most significant career achievement to date has been the design and construction of
R da Silva | Spoormaker and Partners
the newly-opened Netcare Alberton Hospital in Gauteng ( also featured in this issue ). A large portion of the past five years has been dedicated to this project and there are numerous cutting-edge designs across all engineering fields that have been implemented at this flagship site .
Considering his view on where technology can take us in future , da Silva observes that HVAC technology has been increasing rapidly over the past two decades and he believes this should be at the forefront of any sustainability efforts .
“ HVAC infrastructure consumes a tremendous amount of energy and we should try our best to reduce the impact it has on the planet . Building energy modelling and automation are two powerful tools that we use on a daily basis within the industry , and I believe it should be used to greater effect in order to optimise the built environment and strike a balance between a functional facility and the impacts onto the planet ”, he concludes . RACA
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I August 2022 31