WSA graduate wins top engineering award

MSc graduate wins CIBSE 30 Under 30 Sustainable Champion award, amongst other significant industry recognition.

Shweta Salvankar, a graduate of the Welsh School of Architecture’s MSc Environmental Design of Buildings, has been recognised as one of the UK’s top young engineers.

The CIBSE (Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers) YEN (Young Engineers Network) 30 Under 30 Awards showcase young professionals who are redefining the future of building services across the globe.

Shweta was named Sustainable Champion and has also recently received her CIBSE Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. She also serves as the Social Secretary of the CIBSE Northwest Committee.

Shweta said: “Hard work builds on itself. Keep turning up, keep sharpening your craft, and the boundaries that felt permanent begin to move out of your way”.

CIBSE is the professional body for advancing and promoting the art, science and practice of building services engineering, investing in education and research, and supporting their community of built environment professionals in the pursuit of excellence.

CIBSE’s judges commented: “Shweta has established herself as a driving force for carbon-conscious design and ethical responsibility in engineering.”

“As a Senior Building Performance and Sustainability Engineer at Harley Haddow she leads sustainability strategies on major projects, including delivering a Future Homes Standard-ready scheme for Stretford Mall where she introduced renewable technology and authored a bespoke matrix comparing regulatory targets and local policy giving the team clarity and confidence to deliver on both compliance and occupant wellbeing while managing cost implications.”

“Her work consistently embeds renewable technologies, robust carbon modelling, and innovative tools to align compliance with occupant wellbeing and cost efficiency.”

“Beyond project delivery, Shweta’s independent research has had international impact. Her creation of a net-zero carbon pathway for India, where benchmarks are limited, earned the 2024 CIBSE Technical Symposium Award for Most Significant Contribution to Building Services Engineering and was later featured in the CIBSE Journal.”

Since starting the MSc Environmental Design of Buildings programme in 2021, Shweta has received several other significant industry accolades, including:

• CIBSE Young Modeller Award 2022;
• TDUK Retrofit Design Challenge Gold Medal;
• Cardiff University 30(ish) Award (Innovation Category, 2024);
• honourable mention in the Rising Star category at the Cowgills North West Homebuilder Awards 2025.