Personality Profile Sponsored by :
PATRICK GWITIRWA :
GREENING STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE
Compiled by Benjamin Brits
Born in the eastern part of Zimbabwe , Gwitirwa ’ s journey in development led him to South Africa where he found his home at VMG Consulting Engineers .
Remembering his childhood origins , Gwitirwa recalls the idyllic village lifestyle where he spent his early years . His father would visit the village a couple of times a year where his endless hope grew that he too would one day join his father “ in the big city ”.
On turning seven , he moved to Harare - ‘ the big city ’ at the time , to begin his education which was not a time he particularly enjoyed . However , his keen mind persisted to carry him through his challenges in growing up .
“ I was proportionately one of the smallest boys in class , but I would often find solace in beating the bigger boys when it came to end of school term marks , receiving many awards for academic excellence ,” he says .
Gwitirwa ’ s high school years were spent at two Anglican schools – St Marys ’ in Harare and St Augustines ’ in Penhalonga , whereafter , in his pioneering years he gained a strong interest in building services through the Zimbabwe Ministry of Local Government and Public Works where he was offered a post-diploma mechanical engineering technician position with the mandate to undertake rural and urban development .
The need to further pursue his professional development coupled with the economic challenges at the time led Gwitirwa to South Africa , that comparatively had a more active and advanced building services industry .
Acculturation challenges pushed Gwitirwa to adopt a reset in his career . Part of that meant settling for a mechanical HVAC CAD positions in order to build from the bottom up .
“ Administrative barriers initially threw a couple of curve balls my way , but through VMG ’ s support in my professional development , these were overcome . I would often tag along with my mentor , Nigel Pengelly , to planning and design meetings where the experience gained was immeasurable and gave me a good grounding in building services ,” he says .
Membership to industry bodies such as SAIRAC have been eyeopening and their coursework has contributed immensely to Gwitirwa ’ s design skill , while opportunities to partake in factory visits to China , Malaysia and South Korea broadened his interest in HVAC and overall building services .
Outside of work Gwitirwa enjoys following motorsports . “ Being mechanically inclined , the sound of machines , fluids and engines purring out tons of horsepower naturally has a strong appeal ,” he adds .
Considering his career achievements to-date , Gwitirwa notes that working on certain projects it became apparent that merely providing a ‘ comfortable ’
Patrick Gwitirwa , mechanical senior at VMG Consulting Engineers .
living / working space was not enough . One particular project he holds great pride in was the work undertaken at the Holocaust Study Centre in Johannesburg .
“ Ticking all the boxes of the client brief was one of my proudest moments and I would say most significant achievement to date ”, he states .
Looking to the future , Gwitirwa points out that it is becoming alarmingly clear that for future generations to have a harmonious living environment , adopting of greening strategies is essential . Having been grounded to a sedentary village lifestyle in his early childhood enables him to be an early-adopter of green energy solutions .
“ I have recently contributed to a specification update for a blue chip corporate chain that is on a good-footing in terms of adopting sustainable technology . Not only does it benefit the environment but guarantees a harmonious future for generations to come . I would also further like to see improved green technology buy-in from property developers . ‘ Value ’ must be looked at in terms of how much an item or a system improves our well-being AND that of the environment ,” he concludes . RACA
Patrick Gwitirwa www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I May 2021 25