Page 50 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

48 LEE SI MIN

“I enjoy working
with the architects

and contractors to
solve problems and
improve current

designs with the
users’ needs in mind.”

I have always been passionate about Physics. There- Since July 2018, BCA has seconded me to Beca
fore, it was a natural choice for me to pursue Engi- Carter, a private engineering consultancy in the
neering in university. The Building and Construction building industry. This industry secondment allowed
Authority (BCA) Scholarship caught my eyes while I me to gain design experience and form a deeper
was flipping through scholarship guides after my A- understanding of the industry. I am currently devel-
Levels. The core function of BCA is grounded in Engi- oping the detailed design for a new building in the
neering expertise, which was very much aligned with city centre of Singapore. I enjoy working with the
my inclination and dream of becoming an engineer. architects and contractors to solve problems and
Fortunately, I was offered the BCA Overseas Scholar- improve current designs with the users’ needs
ship, which sent me to the UK to study Mechanical in mind. I believe this industry attachment will in-
Engineering at Cambridge University. crease my technical competency and make me more
After graduation, my first posting was at the grounded in my approach towards policy-making
Lee Si Min Green Building Policy Department. This was a great when I return to BCA.
BCA Overseas
Undergraduate Scholarship fit for me as a fresh graduate, as I was specialising in The built environment has been transforming
“Energy and Environment” in my final year in univer- rapidly over the last few years and BCA plays a piv-
Age: 27 sity. In this department, my main job was to formulate otal role in this transformation. The building industry
policies to reduce carbon emissions in the building is now very different from the early days of Singa-
Attained: sector. As climate change is a complex matter that re- pore’s development. BCA is promoting productive
Bachelor of Arts, quires a wide range of expertise, I had the chance to technologies like Design for Manufacturing and As-
Master of Engineering
(Mechanical), work with officers from different ministries and agen- sembly, and Integrated Digital Delivery, which will
University of Cambridge, UK cies in my course of work. This portfolio broadened help to improve the quality of building projects and
my perspective of the public sector’s work and ex- reduce the construction time. BCA is also exploring
Now: posed me to other areas of policy making beyond the smart technologies, such as 3D printing and artificial
Engineer, building sector, such as foreign affairs and building intelligence, that can potentially disrupt the building
Beca Carter Hollings & an economy. I also had the rare opportunity to repre- sector in the very near future. I am glad to have joined
Ferner (S.E.Asia) Pte Ltd
sent Singapore at the COP21 Paris Climate Confer- BCA at the peak of this exciting journey to steer the
From: ence in 2015, where I participated in the launch of industry to deliver a future-ready built environment
Hwa Chong Junior College the Global Alliance for Building and Construction. for Singapore.