The Ken Dale Travel Bursary has supported early-career engineers in exploring global best practices and driving innovation in the built environment. Meet our past winners, hear their insights, and discover the impactful research they've undertaken around the world.
Ibrahim Qadir, Building Services Engineering Apprentice at Vital Energi scooped this year’s CIBSE Ken Dale Bursary with his proposed research project, Technical Challenges and opportunities of future AI technology in buildings: A comparative study.
“With a focus on technical challenges, economics, and environmental impact, I aim to provide practical solutions, attract investment, and raise awareness. Together, we can drive sustainable advancements for CIBSE and the wider community.”
Aluwaine will be assessing the impact of using off-grid solar-powered DC LED lighting systems to improve reliability and access to lighting in southern Africa's rural buildings.
You can read Aluwaine's report here
Raphael completed a BSc in Architectural Engineering and Design Management in 2013 and an MSc in Low Carbon Building Design and Modelling in 2015. Raphael now works as an Energy & Sustainability Development Consultant for Hurley Palmer Flatt.
Raphael's proposed research on the design of offices in relation to female occupancy caught the judges eyes and took him across the world to Rio de Janeirio, San Franciso and Doha; with research involving over 190 particpants.
Raphael said “The Ken Dale Travel Bursary has been a great experience all around. It has given me the opportunity to explore a research topic, provide detailed analysis of my case studies and report findings to an unlimited audience through CIBSE. I have taken away key skills that will go on to further assist with developing my career – analytical thinking, networking, presenting. All very much needed in the ever-changing world we live in.”
You can view Raphael's report on 'A Global Study: Designing for Gender Equality' here
The winner of the Ken Dale Travel Bursary 2017 was St John Townshend, Graduate Building Performance Engineer for Hydrock Consultants. St John investigated air pollution and the built environment: the response to air quality, using building services as a tool for change. His research took him to India, China, South Korea and Singapore and he visited a range of buildings that excelled in tackling indoor air quality, and received outstanding accreditation for their design.
Mechanical engineer at Buro Happold Engineering William Holley has been awarded the 2024 Ken Dale Travel Bursary for his proposal ‘The transition to low carbon heat – a holistic investigation into the integration of heat pump technology into the built environment’.
William plans to travel to Germany, Finland, China, and Japan with the goal of presenting design guidance and cutting-edge case studies from around the world.
Joey's report looks at the The Domestic Retrofit Challenge whilst John tackles Sustainable ventilation in commercial building environments for the 'new normal'.
Here our winners present their reports:
Ken Dale 2020 Winner Joey Aoun explores the challenges of domestic retrofitting - YouTube
Antoni completed a BSc in Building Engineering/Architectural Technology in 2013 at the Polytechnic University of Valencia & University Iberoamericana of Puebla Valencia. Spain & Puebla. Mexico. In 2014 Antoni moved to London to study for his MSc in Building Services Engineering with Sustainable Energy at Brunel University. Antoni joined WSP as an engineer in 2014 and has currently been working in the building services industry for three years. Antoni impressed the judges for the Ken Dale award with his presentation for his proposed study on Resilience and Adaptive Capacity for Upcoming Climate Challenges.
You can view Antoni's report here
Lucy is joint-chair of the CIBSE Young Energy Performance Group (YEPG). Previously a Sustainability & Energy Consultant, she has spent the past year completing a scholarship at Swansea University and wrote her report on Demand Management: Photovoltaics, Electric Vehicles and the Strive for Decarbonisation.
You can view Lucy's report here
Elie researched Energy reduction in airports. Elie travelled to Hong Kong, Stavanger, Bergen, Oslo, Galapagos Islands and San Francisco.
You can view Elie's report here